April: Dragon Tamer
by RainbowSerenity
Summary: April Tamer goes on a journey to find her father's past, love, and the coolest Dragonair ever... ***COMPLETE! READ!!!***
1. Prolouge: Before the Journey

b April: Dragon Tamer /b  
  
~Prologue~ [ It is a cold, dark, dreary day in Johto. In a little area away from people in between New Bark Town and Cherrygrove City, there is a huge mansion. Inside is a family of three, a Pokemon trainer named Chris who is a husband to Serena and father to April, a nine-year-old girl with long, dark hair. Chris, though, is away right now on Pokemon training.  
  
On this day, Serena is doing the dishes and looking out the window right in front of the sink. April is outside, playing on her swing set. She is having a really great time, and Serena smiles, for she loves to see her daughter so happy. Just as she is rinsing off the last plate, the doorbell rings. Serena figures April will be okay alone for a few minutes. As she runs to get the door, she has a funny feeling in her stomach. She opens the door, and a man is standing in the doorway with a serious look on his face, holding an envelope, and a small, round package.  
  
"Are you Serena Tamer?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she whispered.  
  
"Then I have some terrible news. . ." 


	2. Chapter One: Why Me?

~Chapter One~ Dear Diary, I never ever thought this would happen. Why me? Why has this happened to me? WHY? I can never ever go on without him. Never. I feel like someone has ripped a chunk out of my heart and threw it away. Mommy is crying in her room right now. I feel like I have been turned to stone. I can't cry right now. I just can't. This can't be happening. THIS ISN'T HAPPENING.  
  
~*~  
  
I closed and locked my diary and put it back in its usual hiding place, under my bed. I slowly walked towards my huge windowsill, where huge pillows were placed. Usually they were comfortable and inviting, but today I might as well have been sitting on a rock. I looked out the window. Rain had started, and was coming down in sheets. I don' t know how, but that started the waterworks. Soon my face was red and tear-streaked. I hugged my knees to my chest and buried my face in my knees. "Why?" I whispered. "I don't believe it."  
  
Suddenly, a soft knock hit my door. "Come in," I croaked, sounding like a Politoad. It was my mother, of course. "April," she began after taking a deep breath. She sat on the windowsill with me. "How are you feeling right now?" she said carefully. "Pretty crummy," I sneered. "Do you know any other nine-year-olds whose father." I trailed off. I couldn't say the word. It wouldn't come out. Then I whispered, "Died." "No," my mother admitted. "But he had a different job. Pokemon.um.training is unpredictable. You never know what is going to happen." I nodded miserably and sniffled. "I understand. But-it's not fair." My mom nodded. "Mommy?" I asked in a small voice. "Are we still going to live here?" She nodded again. "Yes, of course. This is our home, and full of memories." I started bawling, and mom hugged me and rocked me back and forth until I calmed down. We hugged for a long time.  
  
When mommy finally let go of me, she took a deep breath. "I have something for you that your father left," she sighed. Then she reached into a pocket on her dress. I looked at her curiously. What could daddy have left me? "Here," mom whispered. She was holding something.a ball in her hand. It was quite small with red on top and white on the bottom. A silver clasp locked it and prevented it from opening. My mouth dropped open. "A Pokeball?" I asked. Mom nodded. "This was the only thing he left you. April, this is going to take you to places you've never heard about. It's going to make you sad, angry, confused, and happy. But it's your destiny."  
  
I laughed a sad and pitiful laugh. "All of that in a Pokeball?" I asked. "Yes," mom whispered. "I know it doesn't make much sense now, and it won't. But you'll see." "But just because dad was a Pokemon master, doesn't mean I have to be one," I whined. This was silly since I knew all of the Pokemon by heart, and their attacks and everything. But somehow, it didn't seem right to become one. Mommy paused. She didn't answer me right away, but she finally said, "I.well, it's your destiny April. It was your father's and now it's yours."  
  
She stood up. "I'll leave you alone for awhile," mom said. "I'm going to call a few relative and tell them." she trailed off. Then she left the room.  
  
I held up the Pokeball. It felt so right to hold one, yet so wrong. I didn't know what to do. Outside, the rain had ceased. All you could hear was a drip, drip, drip of some rain dripped off of a leaf. It landed on the ground with a plink! I stood up, breathing hard. I clenched the Pokeball, in my hand. I knew what I was going to do. "I'm sorry dad," I whispered as I stuck the Pokeball in a drawer of unworn clothes. 


	3. Chapter Two: Eleventh Birthday Discoveri...

Thank you, thank you for the review. I got a review! O_O The reason this is messed up so far is because I used to post it at a freaky message board and it was. . . mess up. Like me.  
  
Uh, anyway, I think I fixed this chapter. And person who reviewed me (I'm too lazy to look at your username, hehe) hopefully this will be a hit. It was a hit at TPM.  
  
~Chapter Two~  
  
~Two years later.~  
  
"Mom, mom, mom, mom!" I exclaimed. I jumped on my bed and did a sort of little dance.  
  
"What?" Mom asked in alarm . "I'm.so.excited!" I shouted and did one last jump. Mom caught me and laughed.  
  
"Well, you have a right to be. After all, isn't every girl excited on her eleventh birthday?"  
  
I grinned. "What time is everyone coming over?"  
  
"Well, Vinnie-I mean, Mrs. Cattad-is over now, helping. You must stay in here until your friends come over," Mom answered. She made it sound like a punishment.  
  
I laughed again. "Okay," I answered. I could hear, "Serena! Come help me with this!" in the background.  
  
Mom smiled again and closed the door. As soon as she left, I pulled my diary from under my bed and unlocked it.  
  
~Dear Diary, I'm so excited! Today is my eleventh birthday. All my friends are coming over-Brian, Morgan, Nicki, Bridget, Mike, Chris, Melanie, Dawn, Sandra, Alex, and Alexis. I wonder what they're getting me. I know, I know, I shouldn't be greedy, but I can't help it! Mom and Mrs. Cattad are doing something downstairs now-probably decorating or something. Mom told me she has a very special gift to give me. I hope it's that denim skirt I saw at Burdof. The one in the window was just my size. . .~  
  
I stood up and stared at my reflection in my full-length mirror. I didn't look eleven. For some reason, I looked much, much older. I wondered why.  
  
~Ding dong.~ I heard the doorbell ring. I hoped it was some of my friends. I started running downstairs and saw mom opening the door and letting in Morgan, Chris, Brian, and Dawn. They were each carrying a present . "Hi, hi you guys!" I cried.  
  
"Hi!" they answered back as they thrust the presents at me. "Happy birthday!"  
  
Just then, the doorbell rang. Mom let opened the door and let in more of my friends.  
  
*~ *~ *~ "Whew," I said. "What a party."  
  
"Yes. . ." Mom trailed off, looking at the cake crumbs, wrapping paper, ribbon, and a popped balloon on the floor. I gazed at my presents that my friends had given me. Even though I didn't tell them, they knew exactly what to give me-lots of clothes. Morgan had even given me that denim skirt I wanted. Everyone had just left the party and went home, leaving Mom and I with the mess of birthday stuff.  
  
"Hey, I never gave you my gift for you," Mom suddenly said. She ran to her room and returned with a small box wrapped in silver paper.  
  
"Thank you," I said, taking it. I highly doubted it was any kind of clothes because it was so small.  
  
I tear opened the paper. I found a black watch with some little card- thingys sticking out of it.  
  
"What's this?" I asked.  
  
"It's.a watch," Mom said carefully. "But a special kind of watch. These little cards stand for different things, like a phone, a radio, or a map. It's an advanced watch," she smiled.  
  
"Cool. . ."I trailed off. But I didn't see why I would need these things, unless I went off on a trip.  
  
Mom looked around at the mountain of new clothes surrounding us. "You'd better put some of this stuff away. Maybe you should clean out your drawers."  
  
I laughed. "Sure, sure. I will," I answered, carrying some of the stuff from the pile. I trudged up to my room, occasionally dropping a T-shirt or two. I stumbled into my room and spilled everything all over the floor.  
  
"So much for keeping them neat," I muttered.  
  
I opened one of the drawers where there were clothes that I hadn't worn since I was nine. I took a heap of stuff out and threw it into a pile. One skirt landed with a thunk.  
  
"What?" I said out loud. Skirts weren't supposed to go thunk. Not unless. . .  
  
I picked the brown cotton skirt and shook it. Something in a red and white blur fell down and rolled under my desk-but not too far. I got it out and looked at the item in my hands.  
  
It was a ball that was half red, half white. A small silver circle in the center locked it shut. I gasped. "No. . ."  
  
I swallowed and clenched the ball in my fist. It felt like a lump was in my throat. I stared at the ceiling, breathing rapidly, as if I was there, reliving the moment.  
  
"Dad." I whispered. I looked at the Pokeball and closed my eyes. "This is for you." ~*~  
  
I ran downstairs, still holding the Pokeball. Mom noticed me. "Did you put away all those clothes already?" she joked.  
  
I opened my hand and showed her the Pokeball, not looking her in the eye.  
  
Mom gasped. Her heart seemed to skip a few beats. "April. . ." she whispered.  
  
I looked at her, this time in the eye. "I have to. For Dad. For me. For. . .my destiny."  
  
Mom nodded, biting her lip. "I know you do, sweetie. I knew this day would come."  
  
I ran back to my room and got out my best backpack, which was black with some pretty silver designs on it. I put in ten T-shirts, a couple of shorts, some jeans, two skirts, and a bunch of socks. I loaded all my money in the smallest zipper on the backpack. I found my sleeping bag and a pillow and rolled them up and attached them to my backpack with rubber bands. Then I went under my bed and pulled my journal and a pen out, and packed them too. I wanted to record everything about my journey. I walked down to the kitchen and started packing some food: three water bottles and a canteen, five grilled cheese sandwiches, two small bags of potato chips, and for fun, a leftover piece of birthday cake. Dad had always written in his letters when he was away training that the Pokemon Centers in every town had a great cafeteria, so I wasn't too worried about food.  
  
When I was done packing, I laid my backpack near the door so I wouldn't forget it the next morning. I wanted to have one more night in my own bed, surrounded by my memories.  
  
Mom watched me. "You're staying?" she asked, confused.  
  
"Yes," I answered. "One more night. And a morning. I want some of your famous waffles tomorrow."  
  
Mom's eyes filled with tears and she wrapped me up in a hug. We hugged for a long time, and when she let go, I was feeling tired, so I slowly walked up to my room. I laid on my bed and stared the ceiling.  
  
This is it, I thought. Tomorrow I start my Pokemon journey. 


	4. Chapter Three: Hey, What's that Worm?

Thank you, thank you all for the lovely reviews. I'm glad people like this story! ^_^  
  
~Chapter Three~  
  
I didn't get much sleep that night. I slept for about an hour and then I woke up from a terrible nightmare that I was in a giant pool surrounded by blue snakes.  
  
I sat on my pillow and hugged my knees to my chest. I looked at the ceiling let my mind wander. I heard Mom snoring in the room across from mine.  
  
"Mom." I whispered. How could I go away from her? We had been together for such a long time. Tomorrow was going to be so painful.  
  
Finally, I stopped daydreaming and quietly went downstairs. I pulled my diary from my backpack and snuck it back up to my room. I took out a pen and starting writing.  
  
~*Dear Diary,  
  
I'm so nervous about tomorrow. I've been turning this over and over in my head, deciding if I should really go. Mom will be so lonely without me. I don't know.should I really do this? Should I do this just for the sake of honoring Dad? But.Mom was probably planning for me to go. She gave me that watch, after all. Maybe she wants me to honor Dad. I wish I could have seen Dad when he was at the Indigo Plateau and the Johto League. It was too far away for us to travel to, and Mom wouldn't let me watch it on TV, no matter how much I begged. Maybe, somehow, I'll find out why.~*~  
  
I stuck my diary under my pillow and stared at the ceiling some more. My thoughts were jumbling around in my head. Finally, I felt myself rocking, and I fell asleep.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"April! April, honey, wake up!"  
  
I sleepily opened one eye and looked around. My mom was hovering over my bed, trying to shake me awake.  
  
"You must have slept like a log," she said. "I was trying to wake you up for the last ten minutes!"  
  
I laughed and opened both of my eyes. I sat up and became aware of the smell of waffles and syrup.  
  
"Are you making breakfast?" I asked hopefully.  
  
"Yup," Mom smiled. "A going-away breakfast."  
  
I looked at Mom and smiled a little smile. I was still really, really scared about going away.  
  
"Oh honey," Mom whispered, and hugged me. "You'll be fine. I know you will."  
  
I sighed. "I know. I'm just. . ." Mom smiled again. I loved her smile. It lit up her whole face.  
  
"Listen," she started. "Why don't you get dressed and brush that lovely hair of yours and come on down for some waffles."  
  
I laughed again. All of us-my mom, my dad, and I-have really dark brown hair that's almost black. Dad would always braid it for me or something and ask that I would never cut it because it was so beautiful.  
  
I have never cut it. It's past my waist now.  
  
I got up and shook the covers off of me. "I'll be right down," I said.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Mom and I were sitting at our large dining room table. She was serving us tons of perfect, golden waffles, drowning in butter and maple syrup.  
  
"Mmmm," I mumbled as I stuffed large forkfuls into my mouth. Mom was also serving biscuits, orange juice, and bacon.  
  
"This is excellent," I commented. "It's probably the last big breakfast I'll have in a while," I added, while reaching for a piece of bacon. I quickly ate it and took a sip from my juice.  
  
Mom neatly ate a biscuit. "Yes," she said. "I think so. Now, after you eat, are there any friends you want to call? I don't think you've told anyone you're going away."  
  
I stood up in surprise. "I can't believe it!" I cried. "I have to call Morgan!" I exclaimed as I ran for the phone.  
  
Mom cast a pretend-stern glance at me. "Finish your breakfast first." I laughed. "There's no need to order me to do THAT!"  
  
~*~*~  
  
About five pieces of bacon later, we were both done with breakfast. Mom started doing the dishes and I grabbed the phone and dialed Morgan's number. I knew it by heart because we had been best friends since Poké- Preschool.  
  
"Hello?" Morgan's voice asked, sounding tired.  
  
"Mo!" I exclaimed. "You would not believe what has been happening lately!"  
  
"What?" she asked in alarm.  
  
"I'm going away. . ." I trailed off.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"On a Pokemon journey. Today."  
  
Mo didn't answer at first. There were ten seconds of dead silence between us. I was beginning to think she hung when I heard, "Nooooooooo!" yell from the phone.  
  
"I know it's sudden," I said, trying to calm her down, "But I found this Pokeball Mom gave me when Dad died. Then. . ."  
  
"Then what?" Morgan prompted.  
  
"I don't know," I sighed. "I just feel like I HAVE to go. Like it's my fate or something. " Mo sighed. "Well, you'll call me, right? And tell me about all the neat Pokemon you see?"  
  
"Right," I smiled.  
  
"Hey, what's the Pokemon your. . .your Dad gave you? Did you see?"  
  
"Nope," I answered. For some reason, that had never occurred to me, finding out what Pokemon my Dad had left me two years ago.  
  
"Well, open the Pokeball! Tell me!" Mo exclaimed.  
  
"Later," I said. I just didn't feel like looking at the Pokemon right now. It would be so painful. . .  
  
"Oh," Morgan said, suddenly understanding. "Well, I'll tell everyone at school. They'll either be really jealous or really sad."  
  
I laughed. "Well, I'll talk to you later. . .I guess," I said. It had suddenly hit me-I was leaving, I was really leaving. I wasn't going to see Mo and Brian and Alex and Sandra and everyone every day anymore . "Bye," Mo said softly. Then we hung up.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Are you all packed?" Mom asked. It was just a half an hour later.  
  
I was looking all around my room, making sure I didn't forget anything. I saw the corner of my diary peeking out from underneath one of my pillows.  
  
"My journal!" I cried. I took it and stuffed into my backpack, which I had somehow lugged up the stairs.  
  
Mom took something from my desk and held it up. It was the watch, with all the cards sticking out from it. "Don't forget this," she said.  
  
"Oh!" I cried. I put it on my left wrist. Then I looked around my room some more. I found a denim baseball cap, and put that on. Then I looked in the mirror. "Well," I said. "This is it."  
  
Mom swallowed. It looked like she was trying not to cry. "Come," she said, carrying my backpack. "I'll help you with this stuff."  
  
We both stood in front of our large house. I couldn't imagine that now, only one person would be living in it.  
  
I stared at my house. I couldn't believe I was going to leave it.  
  
"Mom. . ." I croaked.  
  
"Honey, you can do this," Mom whispered, ruffling my hair. "Just believe in yourself. If you do that, you can do anything."  
  
"Mom," I said again. "That's so corny."  
  
She laughed. "But true. Very, very true."  
  
We looked at each other. I knew it was true. But. . .  
  
"Oh Mom!" I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around her waist. "I'm going to miss you so much!"  
  
"Me too," she whispered. "A lot more then you're going to miss me. But this is the way it is."  
  
"I know," I said, sniffling. I looked at the long road ahead of me. I hoped it wouldn't take too long to get to Cherrygrove City, the next town again.  
  
"Well, you'd better go or you'll never make it to Cherrygrove by dark," Mom suddenly said. "Oh before you go, I have something for you." Mom handed me five tiny Pokeballs.  
  
I stared at them for a few seconds before sticking them in my jeans pocket. Then I started walking down the road without even realizing it. I heard Mom shouting behind me, "Bye sweetie! Make me proud!  
  
I walked on.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Hum de dum, de dum," I hummed to myself. It was about an hour later, and I was halfway to Cherrygrove City. I hoped I would get there before dark.  
  
I walked down the dirt pathway and looked all around. I didn't see any Pokemon. Just trees, trees, and more trees.  
  
"Whew," I said out loud. My backpack was getting really heavy. I decided to take a rest. I walked over to an apple tree and set my backpack down with a thud. I pulled one of the water bottles out and began to drink  
  
Suddenly, something hopped out of the tall grass near the tree. It was brown and black, with a little white stomach.  
  
"A Sentret!" I cried. Being very quiet, I unzipped a compartment in my backpack and pulled out the Pokeball with a Pokemon in it. I threw it out.  
  
The Pokeball opened. A flash of white light blinded me for a second. Then the image became clear.  
  
I gasped. It was a light-blue worm-like the kind I had seen in my dream!  
  
The creature was sleeping. Its long body was curled up beneath it, and its head was resting on the tip of its tail. I noticed and envelope in its mouth, and gently pulled it out, without waking the creature.  
  
I looked at the envelope and saw 'April' written on the front of it, in my Dad's neat handwriting.  
  
I gasped a little. With trembling hands, I opened the envelope and pulled out a letter:  
  
"iDear April, I don't know when you will be reading this. I pray its after I have come home, retired from.Pokemon training, but you never know what can happen. April, I have tried my best to teach you all about Pokemon. I have taught you their attacks and evolutions and such. But this is a Pokemon I have never told you about, and the reasons you will find out. This Pokemon is a Dratini. She is quite young, and at a low enough level for her not to get out of hand. Her attacks are Extremespeed, Wrap, Leer, Slam, and Thunderwave. Use them wisely. April, one day you will learn where this Dratini has come from. I hope you will be happy in your quest. I love you. Love, Dad. P.S. When you get to Cherrygrove City, go to the Pokemon Center and ask the Nurse Joy in there if you can have the item Chris Tamer left./i"  
  
I gasped again. A Dratini? What Pokemon was this? How could Dad not have told me?  
  
"Dratini?" I murmured. The giant snake woke up and looked at me with its big, shining brown eyes.  
  
I sighed and began crying. "Dratini. . ." I said again. "Dad? How could you not have told me? Why?"  
  
Dratini saw me crying and hopped into my lap. I giggled a little. "You're sweet," I said. "How about a nickname? I could give you a name much prettier than Dratini."  
  
"Draaaaaaaa," she answered.  
  
I giggled again. "Hmmm." I wondered. "How about. . .Mystic?"  
  
I don't know where that name came from. It flew out of my mouth. But Dratini did look mystical, with those brown eyes, and wings coming out of her head.  
  
"Dratini, dra drati!" Mystic cried, and did a little flip in the air. "Wow!" I exclaimed. "I guess that means you like that name. . .Mystic."  
  
Mystic seemed to smile. She hopped around all over the place. I smiled and looked for the Sentret so we could battle, but it was gone. "Oh well," I shrugged. "Come on Mystic, let's go to Cherrygrove City." I said, while walking towards my backpack.  
  
Mystic followed me, hopping in the rhythm I was walking. "Come on my shoulder," I suggested. "I hope you're not too heavy. . ."  
  
Mystic smiled again and took a large leap to my shoulder. She rested her head on mine. I grabbed my backpack, threw it on, and continued to Cherrygrove City. 


	5. Chapter Four: The Mysterious Key

Hey, I'm glad everyone likes this so much! ^_^ Sorry for not updating sooner. I have twenty-one chapters of this done, I SHOULD post them faster. . .but I'm a lazy bum. Just ask anyone. So. . .here we go!  
  
~Chapter Four~  
  
"Welcome to our Pokemon Center. Would you like me to heal your Pokemon?" Nurse Joy asked.  
  
"Sure," I answered. I was feeling tired, and was pretty sure Mystic was also. We had managed to get to Cherrygrove City and into the Pokemon Center just before it closed. I had just walked five miles and was exhausted.  
  
"May I see your Pokemon?" Nurse Joy said, interrupting my thoughts.  
  
"Oh, yeah," I said, feeling a little foolish. Mystic hopped from my shoulder and onto Nurse Joy's desk.  
  
"This is all?" Nurse Joy asked with a funny look on her face. "Yes?" I answered, in more of a question tone.  
  
Joy smiled and took Mystic. "Thank you. She'll be out in about a half an hour."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
I wandered away from the desk and looked around the lobby. Since the Pokemon Center was closed, there weren't many people in it. Just a few that were looking over maps or talking on the phone.  
  
"Phone. . ." I repeated to myself. I wandered over to a videophone and dialed my number. An image of my mother appeared.  
  
"Mom!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Honey? Is that you?" Mom squealed. She didn't wait for an answer. "Oh, I can't believe it! How are you doing? Are you in the Pokemon Center now? Did you make it before dark? Did you see your Pokemon?"  
  
I thought for a second, then answered, "Fine, yes, yes, and yes."  
  
Mom laughed. "How IS that Dratini doing?"  
  
I choked. "You KNEW about Mystic?" I cried.  
  
Mom paused for a minute. Then she finally answered, "Yes. April, that Dratini is a very, very special Pokemon." She seemed to look me in the eye, even though we weren't face-to-face. I shivered.  
  
"But how did you know about her?" I exclaimed. "Your father showed her to me," Mom whispered. "He wanted you to have that Dratini."  
  
"Oh. . ." I trailed off, not knowing at all what to say. What COULD I say? "Listen sweetie, I have to go," Mom interrupted. "I have Mrs. Cattad and Mrs. Snyder over. Take care now. I love you."  
  
"Love you too," I smiled.  
  
Mom smiled back and suddenly her image dissolved into blackness.  
  
I sighed and sat on one of the comfortable couches that were in the Pokemon Center. I stared at the ceiling for a bit, and then took out my diary.  
  
"~*~ Dear Diary, Today was really grueling. I had to walk over five miles between home and Cherrygrove City. So much has happened between then! I was drinking some water, and a Sentret came out. I threw the Pokeball Dad gave me so it could battle, and a Dratini came out. I was so surprised. I have not ever seen a Dratini; nor has Dad ever told me about them. But Mystic is sweet. She's an adorable little thing. The weirdest part, though, was that when she came out of the Pokeball, she was holding a note in her mouth. . .from Dad. I still don't know what it really means. I have a feeling my parents have kept a huge secret from me my whole life, but I'll never find out what. ~*~  
  
I closed my diary and slipped it back into my backpack. I found the note from Dad that Mystic had been holding, and unfolded it. I reread it . "Oh Dad," I murmured. Then I noticed the P.S. "When you get to Cherrygrove City, go to the Pokemon Center and ask the Nurse Joy in there if you can have the item Chris Tamer left."  
  
"Omigosh!" I cried. "I completely forgot!" I refolded the note and set it in my backpack. I raced to the counter, where Nurse Joy was giving instructions to a Chansey.  
  
"Go to room nine-oh-nine and tell them they will need to stay another night," she said in her soft voice.  
  
"Chanseeeeeeee," the Chansey agreed. Then it wobbled off. Nurse Joy turned around and saw me. "May I help you?" she questioned.  
  
"Yes. . ." I gulped. "I'm April Tamer. My father was Chris Tamer. He wrote me a note that there was something left for me?"  
  
Joy squinted at me. She ducked her head under the desk, looking for something.  
  
"Where. . .somewhere. . .something. . .ah-ha!" she cried. She held up a little white box with "April Tamer" written on it in my dad's neat handwriting.  
  
"Here you go," Nurse Joy said, handing the box to me. "Oh, and your Dratini will be ready in about ten minutes."  
  
"Thank you," I whispered. I stared at the box while walking back to my seat. With trembling hands, I opened the box.  
  
A folded piece of paper was on top. "Another note," I murmured. I unfolded the note, knowing it was from my dad. I was right.  
  
~*~ Dear April, Well, I guess this means you have gotten the Pokeball and have made it to Cherrygrove City. I hope you have seen many interesting Pokemon on your way. I also hope Dratini has been no trouble for you. You are probably wondering what this item has to do with anything. I promise you will find out soon. Keep it with you ALWAYS, and never, ever, let anyone take it. April, I hope your journey went as well as mine. I love you. Love, Dad ~*~  
  
My eyes grew hot as they filled with tears. A drop of water landed on the note, smearing the ink a little.  
  
I took a deep breath and put the note down. I looked at the item Dad had left me, and held it up.  
  
It was a beautiful golden key. It was on a chain the matched the color of the key. The key was shaped funny; it had little swirls on top of three loops that obviously made the key part.  
  
I gasped. My heart skipped a beat. I held the key a little closer to my face. It was so shiny and clear, I could see my swirled reflection on it. I struggled to open the tiny clasp, and put the key on. I hid it under my shirt.  
  
"April Tamer?" Nurse Joy said, startling me. I gasped again and turned around. Trying not to sound totally surprised, I said, "Yes?"  
  
"Your Pokemon is ready," she said, sounding impatient.  
  
"Okay," I answered. I walked up to the desk. Nurse Joy handed me Mystic, but before I could take her, Mystic jumped onto my shoulder.  
  
"Thanks," I muttered. I walked away from Joy and back to the couch. Mystic started to sniff me.  
  
"Uh, Mystic? What are you doing?" I asked, confused. Of course she didn't answer me. She hopped up and down.  
  
"What is it?" I cried.  
  
Mystic stopped hopping and pointed her nose near my neck, where the key was. "Oh, this?" I asked, pulling it out.  
  
Mystic sniffed the key and starting going crazy. I had to hide the key back under my shirt so she wouldn't hurt herself.  
  
"Mystic, calm down," I said calmly. I looked at my watch. It was nine- thirty.  
  
"We'd better get to bed," I sighed. "Come on, Mystic."  
  
Mystic hopped onto my shoulder. I dragged my backpack to a "bedroom," which was basically a bunch of rooms with beds for traveling trainers. I walked into room 118 and saw a comfortable-looking bed inside. I dropped my backpack with a loud thud and fell into bed. Mystic curled up on my pillow.  
  
"Good night Mystic," I yawned.  
  
"Draaatini, Tini, Dra," Mystic said to me before falling into a deep sleep. ~*~*~ Now go review this! 


	6. Chapter Five: The Breakfast, the Beedril...

~Chapter Five~  
  
Something tickled my nose. "Mmmph," I mumbled as I swatted it away. Still, it tickled my nose. "Mo-o-o-om!" I whined. I buried my face in my pillow. "I don't wanna go to school today. . ."  
  
The thing kept tickling my face. "All RIGHT already!" I yelped. I opened my eyes and sat up. Mystic was three inches from my head with a surprised look in her eyes.  
  
"Oh!" I exclaimed, looking around the room. "I'm in a Pokemon Center. Not at home."  
  
I yawned and got a blue T-shirt out of my backpack, and changed my shirt. I stumbled out of the room, wearing my backpack with Mystic on my shoulder.  
  
"Good morning!" Nurse Joy chirped.  
  
"Mmmmph," I muttered again. For some reason I was dead tired. I just slowly walked to the cafeteria.  
  
"Hello," a girl with blonde hair said. She sounded just as tired as I did. "What would you like for breakfast? We've got toast, bacon, eggs, muffins, waffles, and pancakes. For the Pokemon, we've got Breakfast-Style PokeChow."  
  
"Um. . ." I thought. "I'll have a waffle, three pieces of bacon, and a bowl of PokeChow."  
  
The girl yawned, scooped up my selections from a tray, put them on a plate, and handed them to me. "Have a nice day," she muttered, not really sounding like she meant it.  
  
I carried my plate to a small table in the back of the room. Mystic hopped off of my shoulder and curled up on the table, waiting patiently for her PokeChow  
  
"Here you go," I said, handing it to her.  
  
"Draaaaaaa!" she exclaimed happily, and dug in.  
  
I ate my waffle and some bacon. They didn't taste nearly as good as the ones Mom made. I sighed sadly. I was feeling homesick.  
  
Mystic looked at me and cocked her head. "Tini?" she asked.  
  
I smiled sadly. "I'm okay," I answered. "Just a little homesick."  
  
Mystic smiled and continued to eat. I pushed away my plate, feeling a little sick.  
  
A few minutes later, we were both done with breakfast. I grabbed my backpack and we headed out towards the gym in Violet City. I hoped it wouldn't take me too long to get there. I walked and walked and soon I was out of Cherrygrove City. Mystic rested her head on mine and took a nap.  
  
I sighed and fingered the key under my shirt. "Oh Dad," I whispered. "What does it all mean?"  
  
Mystic woke up then. "Draaaaaaaa tiniiiiii," she whined.  
  
"Okay," I said. "We'll take a break. There's a nice tree over there," I smiled as I pointed to a pretty oak tree.  
  
I quickly walked over to a fluffy patch of grass and sat down. Mystic curled up on my lap and sniffed my backpack.  
  
"No," I laughed. "It's too early. No lunch yet."  
  
She barely acknowledged me. Mystic continued to sniff my backpack, then the air. She whirled her head all around, as if to look for something.  
  
"Mystic?" I asked worriedly. "Mystic? What's wrong?"  
  
She looked at me, her eyes full of fright.  
  
"Mystic?" I said again. She didn't answer. She just jumped up and tried to hop away.  
  
"Hey! Wait--" I started to scream. But I heard buzzing behind me. Soft, light buzzing. As slow as I could possibly manage, I turned around.  
  
Flying behind me were two dozen Beedrill.  
  
My eyes opened wide. My mouth did the same. I tried to scream, but no sound came out.  
  
"Draaaaaaa!" Mystic cried.  
  
"Mystic." I said through clenched teeth. "Don't.move."  
  
She seemed to understand that. She stood absolutely still and barely even breathed.  
  
"Ready." I whispered. "RUN!!!"  
  
I ran as fast as my long legs would. I picked up Mystic and carried her in my arms. Even if I was fast, the Beedrill were even faster. They started to catch up Mystic and I. I could almost feel their poison sting, puncturing me. . .  
  
"Charmeleon, Flame Wheel!"  
  
"Chaaaar." something said evilly. I stood completely still since any movement might get me caught in something ugly. All I felt was heat, and buzzing growing weaker, weaker, weaker.  
  
I dared to turn around. Standing a few feet away from me was a fierce- looking Charemeleon, with-I must say-a VERY cute guy behind it. The guy was wearing all black. He had blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes.  
  
"Hello." I said softly. I giggled a little.  
  
The boy looked at me strangely. "Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"Fine, fine," I assured him. I walked up to his Charmeleon. Mystic hopped out of my arms to observe it. "Cool Charmeleon," I commented.  
  
"Thanks," he answered. "I've been training it forever. By the way, my name's Danny," he said, extending out his hand.  
  
"Oh," I answered, pushing hair back from my face. "I'm April. April Tamer," I said as I shook his hand.  
  
"Nice to meet you," Danny smiled. His teeth were in perfect rows that were blindingly white.  
  
We stood there for a second staring at each other. "Um. . ." he stalled. Then he looked at Mystic. "Hey, is that your Dratini?"  
  
"Yeah," I said. "Of course. " A smile crept on Danny's face. "Hey, do you want to battle? I have a Dratini of my own."  
  
I was surprised, but accepted. "Mystic could use some practice before the gym battle," I explained . "Okay," Danny said. He took out two Pokeballs. "Return, Charmeleon," he called. Charmeleon was sucked in a red light back into one Pokeball. "Go, Dratini!" Danny cried as he threw the other. The red and white ball opened, and what looked like a clone of Mystic popped out.  
  
"Cool," I said. "Well, let's battle!"  
  
Danny smiled again. "I'll let you make the first move," he said.  
  
"Okay," I answered. I closed my eyes, trying to recall Dad's note.  
  
"Mystic, Thunderwave!" I finally commanded.  
  
Mystic jumped up and shot some sparks from her body. They hit Danny's Dratini, and it yelped in pain.  
  
"Now, Extremespeed!" I cried. I felt happy, but something didn't feel right. It was like-I shouldn't be battling.  
  
"Oh stop it," I muttered to myself. I focused on the battle. Mystic was speeding towards Dratini, ready to hit it.  
  
"Dratini, dodge-" Danny started. But he barely got the words out when Mystic hit Dratini dead center.  
  
"Yeees!" I exclaimed. "Mystic, Wrap!"  
  
Mystic wrapped her long body around the dizzy Dratini. Danny's Dratini gasped, feeling short of breath, and hung its head. Mystic let go of the Wrap, and Dratini fainted.  
  
"Dratini!" Danny cried. He ran over to his Pokemon and picked it up. "Dratini." he said softly. "Are you all right?"  
  
Dratini slowly opened its eyes. "Draaaaaa." it said weakly.  
  
Danny stood up, still holding Dratini. He looked at me and smiled again. "Good battle," he said. "You're a natural battler."  
  
"Thanks," I blushed.  
  
"Well, I'd better go," Danny sighed. He turned around and started walking away . "Wait!" I cried. "Will I ever see you again?"  
  
Danny turned around and smiled, not only with his mouth, but with his eyes. It was genuine.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes," I whispered.  
  
Danny turned back towards the way he was walking and sped away. I sat back down under the oak tree. Mystic slithered towards me and looked at me. "Draaa?" she asked.  
  
"He's so." I sighed. "Dreamy."  
  
I pulled my diary out of my backpack. Mystic jumped up and tried to swat an acorn with the tip of her body while I wrote:  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Dear Diary,  
  
I just met the coolest guy! His name is Danny. He's really, really nice. We battled our Dratinis against each other-and I won! I actually won my very first battle!  
  
Mystic is a fantastic Pokemon. And Danny said I was a natural battler! But for some reason, it didn't feel right. You know that feeling where it feels like you should be doing something else? Like.I don't know.I had fun battling, but it just didn't feel right. I wonder why?  
  
I hope I'll find out soon."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
THIS CHAPTER IS OVER. GO REVIEW THIS. ~_^ 


	7. Chapter Six: Destination: Violet City!

Wow, fast update. Ten minutes in between. O_O Better take advantage of this and read and *cough* review it! Now. . .  
  
~Chapter Six~  
  
"Mystic?" I asked. "I don't think this is the right route to Violet City. I remember that rock. . ."  
  
"Dra?" Mystic asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's the same rock. The moss on it looks like a Caterpie."  
  
Mystic's eyes opened wide and she started hopping up and down. She looked like she had eaten a little too much PokeChow.  
  
"What is it?!" I cried in alarm. "What?"  
  
Mystic used the tip of her body to point up to the sky. Dark, gray clouds had replaced the bright periwinkle sky. Not even a Spearow was flying.  
  
"Oh, great," I muttered. Just then, fat raindrops started hitting my head. Mystic jumped on my shoulder and tried to bury her head in my hair to avoid getting wet.  
  
"Come on Mystic, the water isn't so bad," I said soothingly. She popped her head out and sniffed the air. She stared at the rain, not even flinching when more fat drops hit her face. She seemed to be concentrating hard on something.  
  
"Mystic?" I whispered. I paused. The water was coming down in sheets now. My jeans were muddy and soaked, and water was coming from the tip of my hair like a faucet.  
  
Suddenly, a great pain came to my head. I winced and gritted my teeth. Why so sudden? What WAS this?  
  
"The water. . .is nice. . ." a voice interrupted. I spun around, nearly knocking Mystic off of my shoulder. "Who's there?" my voice shook.  
  
"It reminds me. . .of. . .home" it continued. "Crisp. . .and clear. . .like home. . ."  
  
I gasped. That voice sounded strong and clear, yet sweet and gentle at the same time. My heart began to beat rapidly.  
  
"What. . ." I started.  
  
"Shhhh," the voice comforted me. "One day. . .you. . .will know. . .you will. . .you shall find your home. . .your. . ."  
  
"My what?" I prompted.  
  
"Your. . ." the voice whispered. It was fading, like a sunset, until it was gone, gone, gone.  
  
"Hello?" I called. I didn't hear anything but the beating of rain. I turned to look at Mystic. She was still sitting so completely still, I thought she had died. She hadn't moved once in the whole ordeal that just happened.  
  
"Mystic?" I poked her.  
  
She jumped and fell off of my shoulder.  
  
"Sorry!" I exclaimed. Even though she was muddy, I replaced her on my shoulder and smiled. "We have to find shelter," I explained to her. "We're both going to get sick if we stay out here much longer!"  
  
I lugged my backpack down a small brick pathway. I walked and walked until I saw a small cave a few feet away. I checked it out, and found out no Pokemon were hiding in it. I used this to make a nice little "house."  
  
About a half an hour later, I had a nice, big fire going for Mystic and I to warm up. I sat down and leaned against the wall of the cave, and Mystic curled up in my lap. I sighed.  
  
"Oh Mystic," I said. "I wonder why I'm doing this. I don't think I'm cut out for this stuff."  
  
I stroked Mystic's smooth Dratini skin. I looked at the ceiling. "I wonder if I'll win at the Violet City gym," I thought aloud.  
  
Mystic looked up at me and smiled her little Dratini smile. I took this as a sign she thought we would win.  
  
I grinned and stroked her behind the wings on her head. She closed her eyes and I could feel her body rise and fall deeper and deeper, until she fell asleep.  
  
"Good idea," I giggled. Without waking her up, I grabbed a pillow from my backpack, put it on the wall, and leaned my head against it until I, to, fell into a deep sleep.  
  
~*~*~  
  
We were in a meadow. Danny and I were running across the beautiful flowers, holding hands. Our Dratinis were hopping along, following us . "Danny. . ." I murmured  
  
"Draaaa," he answered.  
  
"What?!" I cried.  
  
"Draaaaaaaaa! Tini! Dratini, dra dra!" he continued.  
  
"Danny!" I exclaimed. I sat up. I looked around the cave. There was no meadow with beautiful flowers. Danny wasn't there. It was only me and Mystic, who was gently hitting my face with her tail.  
  
"Mystic," I smiled gently. "Are you going to wake me up like that every morning?"  
  
"Dra, Dratini, Dra," she agreed.  
  
I shook my head. I put out the fire with some dirt, and quickly grabbed my backpack. I checked my watch. It read nine-oh-two.  
  
"Nine-oh-two!" I exclaimed. "Come on Mystic, we have to get going! I want to reach Violet City before I turn thirteen!"  
  
I'm not positive, but I think Mystic giggled. But when I turned around, she just hopped on my shoulder with the same expression on her face.  
  
I marched out of the cave, with Dad's key thumping against my throat. I grabbed it and held it so hard, it became imprinted in my palm.  
  
Mystic looked at me with a question mark on her face. I smiled.  
  
"It's nothing," I sighed. I let go of the key and let it fall against my shirt.  
  
I looked at the road ahead. A sign next to me said, "Violet City: 2 miles."  
  
I grinned at Mystic. "Mystic, we're finally on our way to the Johto League! " "Draaaaaaaaaatini!" Mystic cried and threw her head back, smiling.  
  
~*~*~  
  
I walked along the road. I walked and walked until, about forty minutes later, a huge purple sign lit the sky: "Welcome to Violet City!"  
  
"Yeeeees!" I exclaimed. Mystic jumped off of my shoulder and started jumping around excitedly.  
  
I laughed. "I guess you're excited to battle!" I smiled. "But you have to hold your Ponytas. I'm going to get you healed first." Mystic pretended to look mad and I laughed again. She followed me as I headed to the Pokemon Center.  
  
"May I see your Pokemon?" Nurse Joy asked.  
  
Here we go again, I thought. "Sure," I said as I handed her Mystic. Nurse Joy took Mystic into a healing machine-thingy and I sat down on a chair. I took my diary out of my backpack, uncapped my pen, and wrote:  
  
~*~  
  
"Dear Diary, It's been really strange the last few days. Mystic has been acting a little strangely. . .like she knows something I don't. I wish she could talk to me. Speaking of that, the weirdest thing happened last night. It was raining and I felt like I was somewhere else. . .like my mind was anywhere but the middle of the woods. I was hearing a voice in my head. . .yes, a voice. I must be going crazy, but I heard it. It told me I will find something. I think Mystic heard it, too. She didn't move at all. I hope I find out what's going on in my life soon, or I'll go crazy. . ." ~*~  
  
"April?" Nurse Joy's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Your Pokemon is ready.  
  
I jumped up and Mystic hopped off the desk and to me before I could even said, "Okay."  
  
Joy laughed. "That Dratini seems very attached to you."  
  
I hugged Mystic and smiled. "Yes," I answered. "She's my best friend."  
  
Nurse Joy smiled, but got distracted when two Chanseys poked her arm.  
  
I let go of Mystic and got my backpack. "Come on," I gestured to her as I headed for the door. "Let's go to the gym." 


	8. Chapter Seven: Battle with Zoyner and he...

I'm on a roll! Maybe it's because, like I said, I have twenty-one chapters of this done so all I have to do is fix the spacing and. . .WHAMMO!  
  
~Chapter Seven~  
  
Before me stood a small building with a grass roof. Sticks stuck out of the walls like someone had just shoved them in there in a hurry. The building looked like a mess. Yet, a large brown sign in front of it said, "Violet City Gym."  
  
I snorted. "THIS is a gym?" I said to Mystic. "Some gym! This looks more like the house the first Swinub built in that fairy tale!"  
  
Mystic stared at me with a confused look on her face. I sighed. "Never mind. Let's go win a badge!"  
  
I slowly opened the wooden door of the gym, half-fearing it would make the whole building collapse on Mystic and I. I stepped gingerly inside, with Mystic following me.  
  
"Hello?" I called. There seemed to be no one in the gym; there were just a bunch of rocks dyed red and white and formed in the shape of a Pokeball lining the floor.  
  
"Hello?" I tried again. Suddenly, Mystic jumped up. "Draaatini!" she cried fearfully. She hid behind my legs.  
  
"What is it?" I asked.  
  
I heard stomps behind me. I whirled around and saw a very short girl with long blonde hair wearing very tall platform shoes behind me. She was carrying a very big stick.  
  
"AAAAAAIIIIIIE!" I cried.  
  
"Who are you?!" she demanded to know.  
  
"I'm. . .April Tamer. . .here for a badge. . ." I quivered.  
  
The girl's face broke into a smile. "Oh! I'm sorry! I thought you were my cleaning lady. She hasn't been doing a very good job lately and I wanted to give her a piece of my mind."  
  
"Oh. . ." I laughed nervously. "Ha, ha."  
  
The girl dropped her stick. "I'm Zoyner, the leader of this gym," she said. Zoyner waved her hand all around. "Sorry about this mess," she apologized. "I've been redecorating, and they don't have the kind of concrete I need."  
  
"Umm. . ." I stalled. I just wanted to get the match started!  
  
"I'll bet you just want to get the match started," Zoyner interrupted my thoughts. She smiled. "Let's go. I'll be tough to beat, you know."  
  
I grinned. "I don't think so!"  
  
We both stepped-well, Zoyner stomped in those hideously tall shoes-to opposite sides of the gym.  
  
"Can we make this one-on-one?" I asked. I was afraid I would have to beat three Pokemon with only Mystic.  
  
"Sure," Zoyner answered to my relief. She pulled out a Pokeball. "Go, Starlight!" she cried as she threw it.  
  
"Go, Mystic," I whispered to my Dratini. Mystic eagerly hopped out onto the "field."  
  
Zoyner's Pokeball landed on the ground and opened. The light blinded me for a second, but when it dimmed, a small yellow rodent was standing there. It danced around happily. "A Pichu?" I said.  
  
"Yes," Zoyner said. "Starlight is my most powerful Pokemon. He doesn't look it, but he could probably defeat a ground-type if he wanted to, but I don't know about a dragon Pokemon. . ." Zoyner trailed off as she glared at Mystic. Then she looked at her Pichu. "Ready?" she asked him.  
  
"Piiiiiii." Starlight answered. Stray sparks flew from his cheeks.  
  
"Ready Mystic?" I asked. Mystic hopped up and down as a reply. "Let's battle!" Zoyner cried.  
  
"Mystic, uh. . ." I thought. I racked my brain, trying to think of the attacks Dad had listed in his note. Mystic looked at me helplessly as Zoyner commanded-  
  
"Starlight, Thundershock!"  
  
"Dad, help me," I whispered. Remembering my father, I instinctively grabbed the key. I held it in my palm and closed my eyes. Suddenly, it came to me.  
  
"Mystic, Extremespeed!" I cried.  
  
Starlight charged his cheeks up in preparation for a Thundershock, but Mystic jumped up and hurled herself towards the Pichu. Starlight was so startled, he stopped his Thundershock and glared evilly at Mystic.  
  
"Twister!" I commanded.  
  
Mystic whirled her head around. Her eyes glowed green, and within seconds, a small tornado had formed in front of Starlight. It spun towards the small yellow rodent and nearly hit him. "Try your Thundershock again," Zoyner suggested. Starlight charged up his cheeks and let out a powerful Thundershock, screaming, "PiiiiCHUUUUUUUUU!"  
  
The lightning hit the Twister. The green tornado started spinning out of control-and somehow, dissolved.  
  
"What?!" I gasped.  
  
Zoyner ignored me. "Tackle!" she cried.  
  
I bit my lip. Maybe I shouldn't be battling. This WAS only my second battle. Maybe-  
  
"You can do it."  
  
I gasped again. That voice. THAT VOICE! It was that same voice that had urged me on-  
  
"You can do it. Believe in yourself. Your father has-forever."  
  
It was all I could to keep my tears from spilling out onto my face. I felt so happy-yet, sad. . .  
  
I glanced at Mystic. She wasn't moving a muscle, probably waiting for me to tell her to make a move. Starlight was running on all fours, preparing to Tackle Mystic.  
  
"Mystic," I whispered. "When it comes close enough, use Wrap." She nodded ever so slightly. Starlight ran even closer to Mystic. Closer. Closer. . .  
  
"Now!" I yelped.  
  
Mystic jumped at Starlight and wrapped her long body around him. Starlight squirmed and struggled to get away, but Mystic was stronger and kept her Wrap. Finally, Pichu stopped moving and hung his head over the side of Mystic, with his tongue hanging out. Mystic let go of her Wrap and slithered back over to me.  
  
"Piiiiii. . ." Starlight groaned.  
  
Zoyner stomped over to her Pokemon. "Starlight!" she gasped. "Are you okay?!"  
  
"Chuuu. . ." he answered.  
  
Zoyner pulled out a Pokeball and returned Starlight with a sigh. Then she turned to me. "That was a great battle," she said as she rummaged around in her pocket. She pulled something out and threw it to me. I caught it in midair.  
  
"That's a Zephyr Badge," Zoyner explained. "The first of the Johto League badges. Now excuse me, I have to get my weekly pedicure. " Zoyner walked out of the gym and down the block.  
  
"Thank you!" I called. I stared at the badge in my hand. It glittered in the bright sunlight.  
  
"Thanks Mystic," I grinned. I hugged my Dratini. "You're the best Pokemon a girl could ask for."  
  
"Draaaaatini," she blushed.  
  
I looked at the badge again. It seemed shinier for some odd reason. I held it up to my face.  
  
I glared at it. I was sure. . .I was. . .  
  
"Mystic?" I blurted out. Was it. . .?  
  
There was something moving in that badge. I could see blurry gray color, crystal shapes, and something blue, moving, swimming, floating, practically flying. But the blue-it looked like-  
  
I jammed the badge in my pocket. I bit my lip. Then I burst into tears.  
  
"Oh Mystic," I sobbed. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't know what's happening, or-"  
  
"Draaa, Tini, Dratini, Draaaa," Mystic comforted me.  
  
I walked to a tree and sat behind it, away from all the people and homes. I pulled out my diary. I had to write all this down.  
  
~*~  
  
"Dear Diary, This.it's.oh, I'm just so confused!!!!! I battled Zoyner, the Violet City gym leader today. Actually, just a few minutes ago. I beat her and got the Zephyr Badge. But when I was looking at it, I saw something in there- something-I DON'T KNOW!!!! It felt so familiar, yet so strange, like I've seen the image before-but it's totally strange. It was blurry, the image, but-oh, I'm so confused. I hope I can get myself straightened out before I battled at the next town. Maybe Danny will be at the next town. . .  
  
~*~  
  
Just the thought of Danny made me smile. I put my diary away, wiped off my tears, and stood up. I grabbed my backpack.  
  
"Come on Mystic," I grinned. "Let's go to the next town." 


	9. Chapter Eight: Three Years Later: Danny ...

O_O I'm getting reviews! And good ones! YAHOOO! I'm a happy. . .well, I'm not sure what. Hey Hanni B, I see you keep reviewing. . .dat gooooooood ^_^ I'm sorry the key doesn't open your sister's diary, but it's a. . .key? Hmmmm. . .  
  
And if I were a Nurse Joy, I'd sure be irritable! Being a googlalintillioniplet. . .that would drive me insane.  
  
Uh, so anyway, here's. . .  
  
~Chapter Eight~  
  
~*~*~ So, April does go to the next town-Azalea Town-and earns a Hive Badge, once again only using Mystic. She doesn't even have the urge to capture more Pokemon-she feels her and Mystic belong together, that they are the perfect team.  
  
They both head over to Goldenrod City and earn yet another badge. In both of these badges, she sees an image that feels oddly familiar, yet distant. April and Mystic are now in Ecruteak City. It is almost three years later.  
  
~*~*~  
  
I sighed happily. "Oh Mystic, we're finally in Ecruteak City!" I exclaimed.  
  
"Draaatini, Draaaa!" Mystic cried happily.  
  
I grinned. "It's taken us quite awhile to get here, hasn't it?"  
  
"Draaa," Mystic agreed.  
  
I carried my wonderful Dratini to the Pokemon Center. I didn't care I was extremely off track and should have been at the Johto League by now. I didn't care it had taken me nearly three years to get three badges. I didn't even care I hadn't seen Danny for three years since I battled him when I was eleven. I was just so happy-I was turning fourteen the very next day!  
  
I skipped inside the Pokemon Center and nearly killed myself skipping over the freshly washed tile floor. Nurse Joy gave me an odd look, but I just took Mystic over to her.  
  
"Please, can you heal my Dratini?" I asked.  
  
"Sure," Joy answered. She picked Mystic off of her desk and took her into a different room.  
  
I sat down on a ratty green chair. I inserted the cell phone card of my watch, and carefully dialed my home phone number.  
  
"Oh, please be there," I whispered.  
  
Suddenly, I heard a click and a voice say, "Hello?"  
  
"Yes!" I thought. Then I cleared my throat. "Hello, mom?"  
  
"April!!!" Mom exclaimed. "Oh I-I mean-wow-"  
  
"Mom, Mom, calm down," I laughed.  
  
"It's so nice to hear your voice," she said. "How have you been?"  
  
"Well," I began. I was beginning to wonder why I had called in the first place-to tell her how long it had taken just to get a few badges?  
  
"I got some badges," I finished.  
  
"Oh," Mom answered. She didn't sound happy. In fact she sounded a bit- angry.  
  
"Mom?" I asked.  
  
"Oh honey, how many badges?" Mom interrupted.  
  
"Don't laugh, but three," I confessed.  
  
I could tell Mom was trying not to laugh, because her voice shook when she asked, "How is Mystic doing?"  
  
"She's great," I said. "Mystic's doing fine. She won all three of my gym battles-not that she had much of a choice! " "You haven't captured any other Pokemon?" Mom asked excitedly.  
  
I frowned before I answered her, even though she couldn't see me. That was weird-I thought she'd be happy I won some badges, and angry I didn't capture a single Pokemon in three years.  
  
"Mothers," I thought, and rolled my eyes.  
  
"April?" Mom asked.  
  
"Oh, I'm still here," I said.  
  
"Good. Did you ever get that key your father left you?"  
  
"Yes. . .wait, how did you know about that?!" I exclaimed. I was practically jumping out of my seat-people were staring at me.  
  
"Sweetie, I-" Mom started. "I-I just did," she finished.  
  
Of course I didn't believe her answer, but there was nothing I could do about it because just then, Nurse Joy called for me to get Mystic.  
  
"Mom, I have to go," I said.  
  
"Oh, all right," she answered sadly. "I love you, April. Happy birthday."  
  
I grinned. "Thanks. I love you too," I answered before shutting off my phone.  
  
I ran up to the desk and Mystic slithered onto my shoulders. She was getting very, very long-she was nearly as tall as I was!  
  
"Thanks Nurse Joy," I said. I was ready to step out of the Pokemon Center, when I heard Joy call, "Danny, your Pokemon are ready!"  
  
I swiveled around on my heel. My eyes darted around. I saw a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy wearing black get up.  
  
My mouth dropped open. I could swear my heart stopped. I knew-I just KNEW- that this was the Danny I had met three years ago.  
  
I ran over to him. "Danny!" I cried. "It's me, April! Remember?"  
  
Danny looked at me and blinked. His eyes widened when he saw Mystic. "April?" he managed to squawk out.  
  
I grinned and nodded happily.  
  
"Wow! I don't believe it!" he exclaimed. "I-just can't believe it!" He ran up to me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.  
  
"Umm. . ." I trailed off.  
  
Danny must have realized what he was doing, because then he let go. "Uh-so, how have you been?" he asked nervously.  
  
I sighed. "Not too good. I only have three badges. " "Me too!" Danny cried. "That's weird."  
  
"Yeah," I agreed.  
  
We both paused, not knowing what to say to each other. I felt strange-there was a little tickly feeling crawling up my spine.  
  
"Hey, do you want to battle?" Danny asked, suddenly interrupting my thoughts. He looked nervous.  
  
I smiled. "Sure."  
  
We walked outside. I think Danny tried to link arms with me, but Mystic slid off of my arms just then and hopped through the door, so I had to chase after her.  
  
When we were outside, Danny stood across from me. He pulled out a Pokeball. "I hope this one isn't too tough for you," he laughed. He threw the red and white ball. "Go Dragonair!" he cried.  
  
The ball opened. A bright white light lit up the air. A shape appeared-it was long and lean, with graceful little white wings coming from its head. When the light dimmed, it let out a cry. "Draaaaaagonaaaair!"  
  
My mouth dropped open like the idiot I was. I felt so stupid looking at this new creature-but-what WAS it?  
  
Danny laughed at my reaction. "I guess you've never seen a Dragonair before," he said, patting his Pokemon on the head.  
  
"What-wha-what-" I sputtered.  
  
Danny looked at me with a confused look on his face. "A Dragonair? When a Dratini evolves?"  
  
I giggled to cover up for being confused. I still didn't know what he was talking about-Mystic was going to evolve one day? I thought a Dratini was a single Pokemon!  
  
"Are you ready to start the battle?" Danny asked.  
  
"Oh, yeah," I said, feeling really stupid. "Go Mystic," I said to my Dratini.  
  
"Draaaaa," she answered as she slithered her long body in front of Dragonair.  
  
Mystic took one look at Danny's magnificent Pokemon and started hopping up and down. She looked very excited, but then she sniffed the blue Pokemon and calmed down. She didn't even seem interested in battling it.  
  
"Come on Mystic," I pleaded . "Uh, Dragonair, use your Dragon Rage," Danny half-heartedly commanded.  
  
"Ummm." I stalled. "Use your Ice Beam!"  
  
Dragonair drew its head back and let out a stream of blue smoke. Mystic drew her head back and let out a beam of ice. The two beams collided.  
  
Smoke stung my eyes, and it felt extremely cold. I was sure it was the effect of the beams. I pushed my long hair behind my ears and waved my hands around, trying to rid the smoke.  
  
A few seconds later, it cleared up. Both dragon Pokemon were standing-well, kind of-unscathed. Dragonair looked a little sleepy, but fine.  
  
"Weird. . ." Danny commented. "Oh, well. Thunderbolt!" he finished.  
  
Dragonair leapt up out of its curled position and began to prepare for a Thunderbolt . "I don't know what to do," I murmured to myself. I grabbed my dad's key, which I still had after three years. "Dad, help me!" I cried.  
  
Suddenly, I knew what to do. I just KNEW. I was confident I could win this battle, and that Mystic would give me her very best.  
  
I looked at her. She also seemed confident, stronger than before.  
  
I waited until the right moment. When the Thunderbolt was just close enough. . . "Twister!" I cried.  
  
Mystic whirled her head around, her eyes glowing green. A large tornado appeared in front of the Thunderbolt, and sucked its energy into the raging twister. Then it spun towards Dragonair, shocking it and twisting it at the same time.  
  
"No!" Danny cried.  
  
When the green tornado disappeared, Dragonair looked close to fainting. Its head was drooped low, and its eyes were closed. The little blue half-circle on its neck glowed.  
  
Danny pulled out a Pokeball. "Return, Dragonair," he said rather sadly.  
  
"What-" I began.  
  
Danny held up his hand. "Dragonair was hurting, I could tell, and I didn't want to hurt him any longer."  
  
"Oh, all right," I smiled. "As long as you weren't just forfeiting." I joked.  
  
Danny laughed. Then he looked at the road behind him. "Well, I guess I'd better get going," he said.  
  
"Yeah, me too," I said in the same sad tone.  
  
But neither of us moved.  
  
Danny slowly walked up to be. He hugged me again. I could feel his face so close to mine. He closed his eyes and pressed his soft, soft lips to mine.  
  
I wrapped my arms around Danny's neck and started to close my eyes, enjoying this moment.  
  
Out of the corner of my closing eyelid, I saw Mystic glow. 


	10. Chapter Nine: Happy Fourteenth Birthday!

Me like to update ^_^  
  
~Chapter Nine~  
  
I pushed myself away from Danny and ran to Mystic. "What is it?" I cried to her. "What's going on?"  
  
Danny laughed at me. He seemed amused that I was worried. "Three years and you've never seen a Pokemon evolve?" he asked. "Evolve?" I said, confused.  
  
"Yeah," Danny shrugged. He looked at the ground and then at Mystic. I turned my gaze to her also.  
  
She was becoming longer. A little ball appeared under her neck. The wings on her head grew bigger. A horn shot out in the middle of her head, originally where the little white jewel had been. Then, she stopped glowing.  
  
I stared at the creature before my eyes. Mystic. My Mystic was. . . "Dragonair?" I whispered.  
  
Mystic blinked, then hopped into my arms. She seemed so happy, and she was wiggling all around. I had to be careful so her horn wouldn't poke me.  
  
Danny laughed again. He sat down next to me, and Mystic snorted in his face. We both laughed. Together.  
  
I stared at Danny and his deep blue eyes. My excitement for Mystic's evolution grew weaker as Danny and I gazed at each other. I felt like he was looking into my soul.  
  
Danny bent down towards me. I closed my eyes and leaned up towards him.  
  
Suddenly, Danny's watched made a loud, "BLEEEEEEEEP." Danny stood up suddenly, making me fall down. "Auugh!" I screeched.  
  
Danny looked at me with a concern look. "Sorry!" he cried. "I'm really sorry, but. . .I. . .uh, I have to go now. . ." Danny turned around and started to jog away from me.  
  
"Wait!" I cried. But before the word even left my lips, Danny was gone.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Even though she was a Dragonair, Mystic still woke me up the same way the next morning: by slapping her tail in my face.  
  
"Okay, okay!" I whispered. I buried my head under my pillow. "Draaagon.Dragoooonair!" Mystic prompted me.  
  
"Sheesh," I grumbled as I sat up. My long hair was poofing out all over the place. It looked like I hadn't brushed it in years.  
  
"Here we go," I mumbled. One thing I did not like about my hair was brushing it. But I could never cut it.  
  
I promised my dad, after all.  
  
Mystic seemed impatient about something. She kept turning around and around in her new Dragonair form, and hopping up and down. "Draaaa Dragoooon!" she yelped.  
  
A few more strokes, and my hair was brushed. I quickly got dressed and then said to Mystic, "Okay, what do you want?"  
  
Mystic hooked her long tail around my neck and slid towards the lobby of the Pokemon Center. "Draaagon," she said.  
  
I opened the door and cautiously walked out. It was totally dark, even though it was eight o'clock in the morning.  
  
"Hello?" I called out.  
  
The lights flickered on. Nurse Joy, some Chanseys, a few other Pokemon, and three people jumped out. "Surprise!" the cried.  
  
"Ohmigosh!" I exclaimed. I had COMPLETELY forgotten-today was my fourteenth birthday!  
  
I looked around happily. Nurse Joy was wearing a party hat instead of her usual nurse cap. So were the Chanseys. A few of the Pokemon-a Spearow, a Growlithe, a Pichu, and a Totodile-had bright bows tied around their necks. The three people were also wearing party hats and carrying gifts. I looked up at them and screamed with delight.  
  
"Mom!" "Mo!". . ."Danny?!"  
  
"Surprise," Danny said happily.  
  
Mom was ignoring all of this. She ran towards me and gave me a huge hug. "April!!!" she wailed. "Oh my, it's so good to see you!"  
  
"How-" I started. But then Mo barged in and hugged me even tighter.  
  
"April! Oh man, I thought I'd never see you again! This is great!" she cried.  
  
"Yes, I know!" I shouted. I didn't really realize how much I had missed Mo and Mom over these past three years. I call Mom nearly every day, and Mo and I talked about once a week, but that was nothing compared to actually seeing them.  
  
Mo finally let go of me and handed me a present. "Open it!" she cried. "I don't know how much you've changed in these past years, but I'm sure you'll love it!"  
  
I grinned as I opened my gift. I couldn't stop smiling, especially after the homemade wrapping paper revealed some jewelry-blue sapphire earrings, a rhinestone bracelet, and a crystal necklace, which I was sure Mo had made herself.  
  
"They're beautiful!" I exclaimed, and put them on right away.  
  
Mo grinned in approval, and bent down to Mystic's level. "Sorry I don't have anything for you," she said.  
  
"Draaagon," Mystic smiled.  
  
Mo smiled back. "I guess that means you're okay with that!"  
  
~*~*~  
  
It was nearly two hours later. Mom and Mo went home, but Danny stayed behind. We walked into the woods near the Pokemon Center.  
  
"How did you know it was my birthday?" I asked Danny curiously.  
  
"Your friend told me. She was rushing into the Pokemon Center with all of these present and stuff, and I asked whose birthday it was. And she answered, 'April's!' and I go, 'April? The girl with the really beautiful hair?' and she answers, 'Yes!' So I just helped and went along with it."  
  
I chuckled. I leaned my head against Danny's shoulder. He didn't seem to mind. We walked in silence until Danny took a deep breath and stopped.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked.  
  
"Nothing," Danny answered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box cover in silver paper. He handed it to me. "I wasn't sure when I was going to be giving this to you, but I guess since it's your birthday, today's a good time," he said.  
  
I tore through the paper. Mystic picked up each piece that fell, in her mouth, and put it in my pocket. I laughed absentmindedly.  
  
I looked at the small black box the wrapping paper had uncovered. I slowly opened it. Sitting on a perfect bed of cotton was a golden ring. When I picked it up, I saw it had a small Dragonair on it, looking as happy as can be.  
  
I stared at Danny and smiled. "Thank you," I said as I put the ring on. "It's beautiful."  
  
Danny didn't say anything. He just kept staring at me with his gorgeous blue eyes. He slowly leaned towards me. I could feel his lips against mine this time. I looked out of the corner of my eye to make sure Mystic wasn't glowing.  
  
Of course she wasn't.  
  
When our heads pulled back, Danny stared at me again. Then he looked over his shoulder. "I have to go now," he said sadly, and hugged me.  
  
"I hope we see each other again," I whispered.  
  
"We'd better," Danny smiled, before disappearing into the woods.  
  
~*~*~  
  
I sat under a large maple tree. A few Pidgey were screeching above my head, but I didn't care.  
  
Mystic slithered over to me and lay in my lap, closing her eyes. She yawned hugely.  
  
I laughed. "Long day, huh?" I asked her.  
  
Mystic snored in response.  
  
I giggled to myself. Then I pulled out my diary.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Dear Diary, Today was awesome! Mom and Mo came all the way to Ecruteak City just to throw me a surprise party! Mo gave me some jewelry-I'm pretty sure she made it all herself, but she won't tell me if she did or not. Mom gave me some clothes. And. . .Danny was at the party! When we were walking together a few minutes ago, he gave me a beautiful gold ring with a Dragonair on it.  
  
I'm pretty sure Danny really, really likes me, because he kissed me after he gave me the ring. Yesterday he tried to kiss me, but I was interrupted when. . .Mystic evolved! I was so stupid, I thought something was wrong with her. But now she's a beautiful and powerful Dragonair."  
  
~*~*~  
  
I sighed and looked at the ring Danny gave me. It glinted in the sunlight. It looked a little familiar, though.  
  
"Nahh," I shook my head. I hadn't seen a ring before like this in my whole life. Yet, I had this strange feeling. . .  
  
I decided to take all of my other jewelry off, because it was getting uncomfortable. I slipped the sapphire earrings and the rhinestone bracelet into my backpack. I felt around my neck for the clasp for the crystal necklace. It was confusing, because the key was also on.  
  
The key made me think of Dad. "Oh Dad," I whispered as I pulled the key from my throat. "I wish you could have been here today."  
  
But it felt strange, as if he really WERE here, somehow.  
  
I stared at the key. I raised my had to feel its smooth metal. Then I saw it: the key and the ring were exactly the same color.  
  
I grinned. "Well at least I'll match," I joked to myself. I stared at the key some more. Then I looked at the ring. My smile faded. I gasped. I grabbed my diary and wrote:  
  
~*~  
  
"Oh my God-the ring Danny gave me and Dad's key-they look EXACTLY alike!" 


	11. Chapter Ten: Mystic's Going Crazy!

Thanks Hanni B for all of your reviews ^_^. I tend to get a little embarrassed reading romance myself. . .I guess it's because I'm a romantic. Or something like that. Anyway, here's chappie ten.  
  
~Chapter Ten~  
  
I dropped my diary and pen. I held the key in my palm and stared at it next to the ring on my finger. Yes, they were the same. The Dragonair on it had the same expression in its eyes, and it was in the same position.  
  
I took a shaky breath. "What does this mean?" I whispered to myself. I stared at the Dragonair's eyes. They looked. . .familiar. Suddenly, they started to glow blue on both objects.  
  
I jumped up, ignoring Mystic, who fell off of my lap. She didn't even wince as her head fell to the ground. I felt a tiny pang of guilt for jumping up so fast, but right at that second, Mystic was the farthest thing from my mind.  
  
I stared at the ring and the key. The blue in their eyes glowed brighter and brighter, until it was so bright both pairs of eyes had seemed to merge into one.  
  
"What. . ." I started to scream. But a beam formed from the eyes and hit me right in the middle of my forehead.  
  
My body jerked back in surprise. I hit my head on the tree I had been sitting under and moaned until I saw blackness.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"April. April, wake up," a voice mumbled.  
  
"No," I moaned. "I can't."  
  
"You have to," it said. This time, the voice was clearer and unmistakenably...  
  
"Dad?" I whispered without lifting up my head.  
  
"April, wake up," he urged me without really answering me.  
  
I opened my eyes, but didn't move my head. My head felt like it weighed a million pounds. "Dad?" I whispered again.  
  
"April, you have to get up," he said. "For the sake of everything. For me. For yourself."  
  
"I. . .can't," I said. "I can't do it."  
  
"Yes April, you can. You know you can. You've been a strong person ever since you were born and that's not going to stop now."  
  
I grunted and groaned some more and with all my might lifted up my head. Dad was floating above me with a weird blue glow around him.  
  
I gasped. "Dad?"  
  
Dad smiled a sad smile at me. "April," he said. He floated towards me and hugged me, but I couldn't hug him back since I felt so weak.  
  
I began crying. "Daddy!" I wailed.  
  
Dad let go of me and looked into my eyes. "April," he started. "I can't stay long. But I wanted to tell you you're going to the wrong way."  
  
"The. . .what?" I asked.  
  
"You will figure it out. But you're going the wrong way, and. . .and. . .oh April, you WILL know one day. You will. But. . .listen to Mystic. She knows."  
  
"Knows what?" I asked, confused.  
  
"Like I said, you will know one day," Dad smiled. "April, I have to go now-- "  
  
"No!!!" I wailed. I tried to get up, as if that would somehow prevent Dad from leaving.  
  
"April, I must," Dad said sadly. He started floating away from me.  
  
"Listen to Mystic," his voice echoed. "And one day you'll know. . ." "Dad!" I screeched. "Dad, don't go again. . ."  
  
He didn't answer me, but only glowed bright, bright, and brighter until I was blinded by the light.  
  
~*~*~  
  
I opened my eyes. I blinked a bunch of times and slowly got up. I looked around. Mystic was staring at me with curious eyes. My diary was lying a few inches away from my backpack where I dropped it.  
  
I glanced at my hand and saw the ring was still on my finger. My hand flew to my throat and the key was still there.  
  
I shakily got up and grabbed my backpack and diary. "Come on Mystic," I said, feeling scared. "We're getting out of here."  
  
~*~*~  
  
I stared at the ground as I walked across some leaves. Mystic was curled up on my shoulder, her head resting on mine. I thought about what had happened a few minutes earlier.  
  
"Dad. . ." I whispered.  
  
Suddenly, Mystic jerked her head up. She hopped off of me and slithered away through the woods, too fast for me to run.  
  
"Mystic!" I cried. "Wait. . .wait, where are you going? Mystic!"  
  
Mystic stopped and looked at me with her beautiful, dark, Dragonair eyes. "Draaaaaaaagon!" she schreeched impatiently.  
  
I ran to catch up with her. "Okay, okay," I said panting.  
  
Mystic peered between two oak trees. "Dra," she said.  
  
I looked into the tiny space between the trees. I could see a small part of a beautiful, glistening lake.  
  
"Cool," I said. "But Mystic. . ."  
  
My Dragonair paid no attention to me. She cried with joy and found a bigger space between a bunch of other trees to crawl through. I followed her with curiosity. She seemed so happy about finding a lake. True, she hadn't been swimming for awhile, but she seemed happier than usual.  
  
Mystic got closer to the lake and dipped her horn in it. I watched in surprise as her horned glowed a bright blue that looked just like the glowing eyes of my Dragonair ring and key.  
  
"Mystic. . ." I started again.  
  
Mystic still paid no attention to me. She took her horn out of the lake and started jumping up and down happily. Then she slithered next to me. I sat down under a big, leafy tree, and noticed the whole lake was surrounded by trees, and there was not one person in sight.  
  
Mystic stared at me. I leaned against the tree, in fear, feeling a little foolish--but the way she was staring at me was strange. . .  
  
"Mystic?" I whispered . Mystic slithered away from me about four feet. She curled herself up and aimed her horn right at my chest.  
  
"Mystic?" I asked in more alarm.  
  
She responded by springing herself up from the ground and flying right towards me. My mind screamed, "Run! She's going crazy!" but my body stayed put. My neck felt damp.  
  
Mystic flew even faster towards me. I did not flinch when her horn touched my shirt, I began screaming when her horn pierced my heart. 


	12. Chapter Eleven: The Cave

Oh, I don't think I ever said this, but I don't own Pokemon. I own Danny and April and her mom and stuff, though. See? They're right here in my pocket. Muhahaha. -Pulls little people out of her pocket-  
  
Don't ever doubt me.  
  
~Chapter Eleven~  
  
Mystic pulled her horn out of me. She snorted in surprise.  
  
I paid no attention to her. I began panting for breath. I knead the grass and my hands got caked with dirt, but I didn't care. I began sliding towards the ground, feeling faint.  
  
"Well, I didn't expect THAT," I heard someone say.  
  
I gulped and squinched my eyes shut. It was the same voice I had heard in my head before. "What?" I managed to croak.  
  
"No TAMERhas ever had that reaction," the voice continued. "But then again, you don't even know. . ."  
  
I took a shaky breath and opened my eyes. "Know what?" I whispered. "You'll find out, like your Dad said," the voice answered.  
  
"You. . .know about that?" I stuttered.  
  
"Of course," the voice laughed. "After all, Chris did say to listen to me. . ."  
  
I looked up and gaped at my Dragonair. Mystic was sitting completely still. Her eyes met mine and she nodded slightly.  
  
"Omigosh!" I yelped. "It's YOU?! YOU'RE that voice?!"  
  
"Shhhh," Mystic said. "Yes, I know. But this is going to be one of many shocks to you."  
  
"Like what?" I demanded to know.  
  
"I can't tell you now," Mystic said. "But you'll find out. And now I have to show you something. Stand up."  
  
Clutching Dad's key, just for comfort, I shakily stood up. Mystic piercing my heart had taken a lot out of me.  
  
Mystic slithered towards the lake and glanced at me. Then she gracefully dove in. She popped her head out of the slightly murky water and gestured for me to come in.  
  
I slowly walked to the lake. I stared at the water, took a deep breath, and jumped in.  
  
Mystic was swimming around the bottom of the lake, searching for something. I couldn't see what on earth could be at the bottom of a lake, but she seemed determined to find something.  
  
I began feeling even more faint. I swam to the top of the lake and took another deep breath, and swam towards Mystic, who had stopped looking for something, but was completely still again.  
  
I got worried. I thought she was dead or something, so I nudged her, but she didn't move except for her eyes closing.  
  
"Mysblic," my underwater voice burbled.  
  
"I'm alright," a voice came into head.  
  
"But. . ." I thought. "Why are you sitting so still?"  
  
"I have to be utterly still to talk to you," Mystic said. "And you can TALK to me, you don't have to poison yourself with no oxygen."  
  
"What?" I said out loud. I instantly clapped my hands over my mouth, sure I was going to start coughing or something. But I was fine.  
  
"What?" I said again.  
  
Mystic snorted in amusement. "Of course you're fine. Why on earth did you think I poked your heart?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Doing so, I made you able to breath underwater. You could probably stay underwater for a whole day."  
  
I grinned. "Wow!" I exclaimed. "That's awesome! But why do I have to know how to breath underwater? And how did you learn how to do that? And why--"  
  
"Hold it!" Mystic laughed. "April, you'll find out the answers to everything. Do you EVER listen to your father?"  
  
I laughed, but my I was dying to throw a thousand more questions at Mystic. I was just so confused about everything.  
  
Mystic finally started moving again and started sweeping some dirt around the lake floor. I swam around, noticing that there wasn't any life in the lake, and this place was completely deserted. I was just about to get out of the lake and find a ponytail for my hair that kept floating in my face, when Mystic starting crying out something happily: "Dragooonair! Dragoooooooooon!!!"  
  
I quickly swam over to her. "What is it?" I asked.  
  
Mystic tapped her horn at something. I took a closer look at it and saw it was a lock attached to a huge steel door.  
  
I swam back in surprise. "Woah," I whispered.  
  
Mystic gestured her head back to the door. "Dragonair, nair," she said, pointing her horn at the lock.  
  
I looked at her confused. "I can't open that," I complained. "It's a lock that needs a key, and I don't have any keys."  
  
Mystic rolled her eyes and stretched out her neck. "Dragonair," she said impatiently.  
  
"My neck?" I asked. I tried as best as I could to look at my throat, and Dad's key was floating around on the chain.  
  
I gasped. "Dad's key?" I gulped. "Does this open. . ."  
  
Mystic nodded, her eyes glassy. She seemed happy and sad and excited and worried all in once. I wondered why.  
  
I shrugged and opened the chain. The key started floating away from me, but I grabbed it. I stuffed it into the keyhole and slowly, slowly turned the key. The lock popped off, but the door showed no signs of opening.  
  
"Uh oh," I murmured. Of course there was no handle to the door. How on earth was I supposed to open this thing?  
  
"Draaagoooon," Mystic suddenly called out. She was pointing at something with her tail. I swam over towards her, and saw that there was a handle, but it had been buried under some algae. I stared at the handle in amazement, because it looked exactly like the Dragonair on the key and ring.  
  
"Woooooah. . ." I whispered. I stared and stared at the Dragonair until Mystic poked my arm with her horn, prompting me to just open the door already.  
  
"Oh, yeah," I said. I grabbed the handle with both hands and pulled with all of my might.  
  
~*~*~  
  
After ten minutes of pulling, the door had barely budged. At one point, it had showed a small sign of actually opening, but then it fell down with a boom.  
  
I swam up to the top of the lake and got out of the water and sighed. "It's no use," I said. "I can't even pull the door open, for crying out loud!"  
  
Mystic popped her head out from underwater. She gave me a Look that plainly said, "Get back under there right now and open the door or else!"  
  
I sighed again. "I can't Mystic," I complained. "That stupid door won't budge. I need a crane or something to lift it up."  
  
"Draaaaaaaaagon!" Mystic cried. She wrapped her tail around my leg and pulled me back underwater. She pulled me to the door and said, "Draaaaaaaaagonaaaaaair!"  
  
"All right, all right," I moaned. "I'll try again." But before I could even put my hands on the handle, Mystic wrapped her tail around it and pulled. Within seconds, the door slowly creaked open.  
  
I stared at Mystic in amazement, and then in anger.  
  
"Mystiiiiiiic. . .why didn't you do that the FIRST time I tried to open the door, so I wouldn't HAVE TO BREAK MY HANDS TRYING TO PULL IT FOR THE LAST TEN MINUTES?!!!!"  
  
"Dragonaaaaair," Mystic said simply. She looked down at the now-open door.  
  
I took a deep breath. I had to do this. I didn't know what was coming to me, but it had to do with something with Dad--why else would he give me the key?  
  
"Okay, here I go," I murmured. I swam down into the door, with Mystic following me, not knowing what I was getting myself into.  
  
~*~*~  
  
It was seeming as if it would never end. Mystic and I were sliding down a water slide-type thing, sliding and slipping from the lake. My hair was drenched and my jeans probably needed to spend five days in a dryer.  
  
Finally, finally, the water slide ended. Mystic and I landed in a large puddle.  
  
"Oof," I grunted. When I stood up, letting my hair drip into the puddle, I looked around.  
  
"Woah," I whispered. "Where am I?"  
  
It seemed like I was in a whole other world. There was a huge stone staircase leading down into a huge pool. Baskets filled with dead flowers hung from the cave-like ceiling. There was an absolutely humongous door on the right side of the room . "Well, a cave," I guessed. That's what this room looked like. A cave. Well, it looked somewhat like a cave since around the absolutely humongous door were some rosebushes. In the distance, I could see a smaller door on the opposite wall I was standing at. Mystic was trying to open that door, so I stopped gaping at everything and walked on the cement pathways around the pool to her. I opened the door and walked in.  
  
A comfortable-looking bed with a blue-and-white print was placed in the center of the right wall. Some tables were against one wall, and a sheet was covering whatever was on the table. A huge basket with several fluffy pillows was placed near the foot of the bed. Mystic completely ignored the bed and basket though, and slithered right over to the tables.  
  
"Draaaagooon," she cried happily. Then she looked at me and back at the tables.  
  
Curiously, I walked over to the tables and pulled off the sheet and gasped. 


	13. Chapter Twelve: 'April Dragon Tamer'

~Chapter Twelve~  
  
Lying on the table were at least fifty Pokeballs, all spread out. On top of one was an envelope. As I opened it, I got a sinking feeling I knew who it was from.  
  
And I was right.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Dear April,  
  
I knew you would make it here. I knew you would listen to Mystic and eventually find yourself here. April, I must tell you something now. I was never a Pokemon trainer, nor a master, or anything. I have never actually captured a single Pokemon, but my Dratini, which is now a Dragonite, sitting in one of those Pokeballs.  
  
I am terribly sorry to have lied to you all your life, but it was for the best--this "den" has been a secret for as long as Tamers have been around, and as you soon will see, you and I and every Tamer that will ever be born has a gift with these wonderful creatures. April, welcome home. Love, Dad  
  
~*~*~  
  
My hands started shaking and shaking until a corner of the note got ripped. I dropped the paper and fell to my knees, staring into space. I was so upset about two things.  
  
One, when had Dad written the note? I thought he had written it before he died, but that one line--"I knew you would listen to Mystic. . ." Dad had died five years ago. How did he know I was going to name the Dratini he gave me Mystic?  
  
And for another, he had LIED to me all of my life. He said he was sorry, but that didn't change anything. Now I knew why I could never watch the Pokemon League on TV: I wouldn't see Dad. Now I knew why when Dad came home, he would claim to leave all of his Pokemon at a Pokemon Center: he didn't have any.  
  
I stared at the floor. Before I could stop them, tears were pouring down my cheeks like the waterslide I had ridden earlier. I felt so betrayed, yet. .happy. It felt so strange, like my mind was going a million miles an hour and it was never going to stop.  
  
"Oh Mystic," I blubbered.  
  
Mystic paid no attention to me. She was looking at the Pokeballs with great glee. Before I knew what was happening, Mystic quickly lifted her whole body onto the tables and swept it behind all of the Pokeballs so that they fell to the floor and opened.  
  
"No!" I cried. I had no desire to find out what was in those Pokeballs. I didn't care anymore. All I wanted to do was sit and cry.  
  
Well, Mystic wouldn't let me do that. She continued sweeping her tail across the tables until all but two Pokeballs were on the floor--and opening.  
  
I was practically blinded by all of the light. With every Pokeball that opened, out came a creature, each happy to be out and stretching.  
  
When the light finally stopped, I surveyed in surprise at how many Pokemon were filling my room.  
  
Dratinis. Dragonairs. Dozens and dozens of each, all crying happily, all beautiful in their own way. I knew it.  
  
"Oh man," I whined. I was startled too, and I was just so surprised about everything that was happening. I didn't know what to do next.  
  
"Um," I started.  
  
"Draaaaagonair, Dragon, Draga, Dragonair!" Mystic screeched. All at once, every single Dratini and Dragonair hopped or slithered or slid out of my room and out the open doors into the giant pool I had witnessed before. Before long, only Mystic, two Pokeballs, and I were left in the room.  
  
"Good grief," I muttered. I stared at Mystic helplessly. "What do I do now?" I whispered.  
  
"Dra," she answered, and motioned for me to pick up the two other Pokeballs. I did so, and followed Mystic out the door and into the den.  
  
I followed Mystic to a sets of doors that I had not seen earlier. Here, she stopped and said, "Draagon."  
  
"Open the Pokeballs?"  
  
"Draaa," she nodded.  
  
I threw the Pokeballs to the ground, and out came two creatures so enormous, I didn't know how they fit into the Pokeballs. Two majestic, orange-colored dragons with small wings and a friendly face flew out of the red light that had held them inside the Pokeballs, and stood on either side of the doors.  
  
"Dragonite?" I whispered.  
  
One glanced at me, and then looked back out to the pool where all of the countless Dratini and Dragonair were swimming, but the other took a long glance at me, and broke into a grin that looked somewhat familiar.  
  
And then I knew. The Dragonite had been Dad's only Pokemon.  
  
"Omigosh. . ." I whispered. This was incredible. It was like Dad was here with me, only in the form of a Dragonite.  
  
With my mouth still hanging open like an idiot, I surveyed the scene around me. Several Dragonair were on the floor of the cave near the pool, snoozing. Most of the Dratini were swimming and leaping and having a great time, probably glad to be out of their Pokeballs. And of course, the Dragonite were standing guard at the door.  
  
I walked back into my room, while Mystic jumped into the pool. I had so much to think about.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Somehow, my whole backpack had survived the whole water slide thing. A few things in there were damp, but my diary was still safe and sound, tucked in between a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. I sat on my bed, took out a pen, and started to write.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Dear Diary,  
  
Wow. I am amazed. Flabagastered. Totally freaked out. You would not BELIEVE what has just happened. So Mystic is swimming in this lake, and she gets really excited about it. I'm just wondering what on earth is so exciting about a lake, when she sticks her horn right into my heart! I thought she had gone mad, but then I find out two things: that SHE'S the voice in my head that I've been hearing all of these years. . .yep.  
  
And second, she punctures my heart because somehow, she has the power to make me breathe underwater! And that's just the first of it. We swim to the bottom of the lake, and there's a huge door down at the lake floor. A door! It turns out that Dad's key was the key for the lock on the door. Now I know why he said never, ever to lose the key--it opened up to this cave, which Dad called a den. There's a HUGE pool, then a bunch of doors and flowers all around. Plus, there's my room which I'm sitting in now that has a bed for me, a basket for Mystic, and other room stuff.  
  
Now, I would normally think this is all pretty cool, but there was a note on top of all the Pokeballs with the Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite, and the last line was, "April, welcome home." I mean, freaky or what?! Am I supposed to spend my whole LIFE here? I don't know if I want to spend my WHOLE LIFE down in a cave, den, whatever, and watch a bunch of Dragon Pokemon. I don't even KNOW them, except for Dad's Dragonite, which I found earlier. Oh, I'm just so confused. . ."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ending on that sour note, I closed my diary and left it on my bed. I walked up to the huge full-length mirror that was on the back of my door, no doubt left there by Dad. I stared at my reflection. My dark, dark, ankle-length brown hair was drenched and was getting in my face. My bright green eyes had turned red from crying so much. It didn't feel like I was looking at myself, it felt like I was looking at a whole other world.  
  
"I'm not a dragon tamer," I said out loud. I frowned at my reflection.  
  
"Yes you are," came a voice.  
  
I spun around and saw Mystic in her basket. Of course, she was completely still.  
  
"No I'm not," I answered. "I can't do it. Plus, what does that MEAN--a dragon tamer? What am I supposed to do?"  
  
"Exactly. Your father didn't quite know either. But he found out."  
  
"How?" "By doing what he had done with Cielo: just training all of us."  
  
"Cielo?" I asked.  
  
"Your father's Dragonite," Mystic answered.  
  
I sighed. "Did you know my dad?" I asked.  
  
Mystic seem startled by this question, but she answered it anyway. "Well, a little. I was only about a week and a half old when he left the den to go back home."  
  
I stared at Mystic. "What?" I gasped.  
  
Mystic took a deep breath, then answered, "I have just spoken to an old one that has lived here long, and your father didn't die in this den, as your mother thought. He died trying to get home to you. I remember him murmuring, 'April and Serena,' to himself, and he also wanted to pick out the perfect Dratini for you, so you could follow in his footsteps. And of course, that Dratini was me," she laughed lightly.  
  
I ignored that comment, since I was still blown away by something. "But. . .how did he die? And how come he lived in this den so long?"  
  
Mystic shrugged. "I'm sorry, I don't know. I only know what I've heard.  
  
I looked at my reflection again and started crying lightly. The more I heard about my dad being here, the more it seemed right to actually BE here. I touched the mirror and said some words I didn't think I would ever believe.  
  
"April. . .Dragon Tamer." 


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Love is in the Air! Wo...

-runs from Charmandar plushie- AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! IT'S GONNA EAT ME!!!!! JACOB, SAVE ME!!!!  
  
-hides behind dweeby cat, who runs away and hides under the bed-  
  
Oh, well. My cat is such a dweeb. Anyway, who said this would be the last chapter? -raises eyebrows- Right now, there are more than twenty chapters of this written. Why aren't they up? I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'm a lazy bum.  
  
I'm soooo glad everyone likes this so much! ^_^ Thanks for all of your reviews!  
  
~Chapter Thirteen~  
  
Mystic cocked her head and looked at me. "Well, I guess you'd better get a better look around here. You don't know anything about this den, but I believe I remember some things about it. . ."  
  
I turned away from the mirror and stared at the floor. "Okay," I said.  
  
We got back out to the room with the big pool in it-the "main room" Mystic told me. I looked and saw dozens of Dragonairs and Dratinis swimming and napping and playing. I was feeling overwhelmed.  
  
There were two sets of doors, Cielo guarding one and the other Dragonite guarding the other set. Rosebushes were all around the doors, and the baskets hanging from the ceiling that were holding the dead flowers suddenly held bright, blooming flowers. I shook my head in amazement.  
  
Mystic hopped over to Cielo and spoke a few words in Dragonair language. Cielo nodded and opened a door with one of its great hands. The door creaaaaked open, and I saw a thick layer of dust flutter from the hinges.  
  
Mystic once again stood completely still. "This is the main entrance to the den," her voice told me. "Whenever you need to get food or take one of us to the Pokemon Center in an extreme emergency, you will exit out here."  
  
I peeked out the door and saw nothing but water. Something was holding it up and protecting the great deal of water from entering the den.  
  
"Okay. . ." I trailed off. I turned back to the den. "What's that other door open?"  
  
Mystic slithered to the other Dragonite and spoke to him. Then she turned to face me and said, "First of all, this is Rio. He is guarding the. . .other. . .part of the den."  
  
"Other part?" I asked.  
  
Mystic spun around and jumped into the pool. Her head came up after a few seconds, and she said, "You are not ready to see that. You will know when you are."  
  
I laughed a pitiful laugh. "Man, I have to wait for everything."  
  
Mystic smiled a sly smile and swam to the bottom of the pool. The water was so incredibly clear, it was like crystal. Crystal clear.  
  
I stared at the water. I spun around on my heel and went back to my room. I really wasn't ready to follow in dad's path yet. I also had no clue about what to do.  
  
I flung myself on my bed and lay my head on the pillow. I lay still and stared at the floor. Before I knew it, tears were coming down my cheeks. I could not stop them.  
  
I sat up and stared at my lap, sobbing. "Dang it," I muttered. "Why do I have to cry at everything?"  
  
After a few minutes, I finally stopped crying. I stood up and stared into the mirror at my reflection.  
  
"God, your hair is a mess," I said to myself. "You need to do something with it."  
  
I gathered half of my long, thick hair in my hand and spun it into a bun. When I realized the bun was too thick, I let half of the half of the section hang loose. I secured the bun on top of my head with a ponytail. (A/N: If you have no clue what this looks like, it's supposed to be like Sailor Moon's hairstyle. I know, I steal everything. So that's copyright. And if you have no idea who Sailor Moon is, shame on you.)  
  
"Meh," I muttered. "Good enough," I said as I did the same style to the other half of my hair.  
  
When I was finished, I looked at my new style. Two buns were resting on my head, while the rest of my hair hung down limply. Even though the buns made my hair look considerably shorter, the hair that was hanging down still reached my knees.  
  
"Good enough," I said again. I changed into my bathing suit, which was still sitting in my backpack, and ran out into the main room. I knew what I had to do.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Come on, you silly Dragonair!" I shouted. "Just use the attack! It's a statue for crying out loud!"  
  
The Dragonair, which I nicknamed Nikkomoeru, shook his head. He dove back into the pool and floated at the floor of the water.  
  
I rolled my eyes and went underwater. I was lucky that now I could breathe underwater, because this pool was DEEP.  
  
"Nikkomoeruuuuuu. . ." I whined. "Come on. Ice Beam won't hurt the statue, I promise. I know you don't like hurting things, but the statue won't feel it. I promise."  
  
Nikkomoeru looked at me and quickly swam to the surface. He threw his head back and let loose with an ice beam straight at a freaking-looking statue of some. . .well, freaking-looking guy holding some kind of circle thing. I discovered the statue when I had been looking at the rosebushes about an hour earlier. I wanted to move the statue out of the den, but I wasn't sure how.  
  
In a matter of seconds, the statue was completely frozen. Nikkomoeru looked happy for himself.  
  
"Excellent!" I cried. I turned to another Dragonair swimming beside me. "Dreamstar, Fire Blast!"  
  
Dreamstar immediately turned to the statue and blew out a fire blast. The ice melted, and unfortunantely, the statue was fine.  
  
"Good work," I smiled at the Dragonairs. They smiled back and dove back into the water.  
  
I sighed and decided to float on my back for awhile. I looked at the baskets of flowers hanging and decided I wouldn't mind being in the den. In fact, I would probably grow to like it.  
  
Dad's key spun around on its chain and floated in the water near my neck. I smiled and held it up. I had kept it on, and decided I always would. It had led me to this wonderful place.  
  
I spun around on my stomach and swam to the other side of the pool. I pushed myself out and squeezed my pigtail of all of the water. I was just about to decide to call it a night when my stomach growled loudly.  
  
"Oops," I mumbled. "I forgot about food." Then I raised my voice. "Mystic!"  
  
My Dragonair immediately flew on the wings on her head to me. "Yes?" she asked.  
  
"I'm going to get some food," I told her. "I'll be back soon." She nodded, and dove back into the pool. I saw her swim off with a very handsome Dragonair I had nicknamed Moerumushi. I smiled as Ceilo opened the door for me and I swam into the water leading to town.  
  
The river was small, but rough. Once again, I was glad to be able to breathe underwater, or I would probably be dead.  
  
I was very happy to see town. I hopped out of the river and walked along the road to the Pokemon Center.  
  
"Ah, civilization," I joked. I ignored the Pokemon Center and decided just to go into the Mart when I saw someone come out of the Center. Someone wearing all black, with dirty blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes.  
  
"Danny!" I called happily. I was sure my grin was going to fall off of my face.  
  
Danny looked around, wondering who was calling him. He saw me, and I don't think he recognized at first because of my new hairstyle, but then he broke into a smile similar to mine.  
  
He ran to me, arms outstretch. "April!" he cried, wrapping me in a hug. I hugged Danny back.  
  
After what felt like forever, Danny let go of me. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "I thought you'd be out of Ecruteak City by now."  
  
I bit my lip. Should I tell Danny about the den? I thought. I don't know. It would probably be better if I didn't, but then again, I hate keeping secrets from people I love.  
  
I raised my eyebrows and gasped at my own thought. Danny looked at my strangely.  
  
Love? I thought. Did I just think that? Did I just think that I. . .that I. . .  
  
"Love you," I whispered, completing the thought. I looked up at Danny, swallowing hard.  
  
He stared at me with his intense blue eyes. His beautiful blue eyes, so open and so free. So familiar. . .  
  
"What did you say?" he asked. He touched my cheek and I grabbed his hand, closing my eyes.  
  
"I. . .I love you," I whispered again.  
  
Danny took his hand away from my cheek and held my other hand. I opened my eyes and looked at him again.  
  
"I love you too, April," he said softly. "I always have. Ever since we first met when we battled our Dratini, I knew I would always love you."  
  
I smiled. I felt a small tear gather at the corner of my eye. I didn't even bother to brush it away as it fell.  
  
At least I didn't mind crying now. These were tears of happiness, not of confusion.  
  
I definitely wasn't confused as Danny took me in his arms and kissed me again.  
  
And for the first time that day, something truly felt right. 


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Danny, the cute blonde...

~Chapter Fourteen~  
  
After the kiss, Danny hugged me close for awhile, muttering words I couldn't understand to himself. Then, after a minute, my stomach growled so loud I was pretty sure Danny heard. He laughed and let go of me.  
  
"I guess you came out here to get something to eat," he said, smiling.  
  
"Yeah," I shrugged. Something in my head was still nagging me-should I tell Danny about the den? Would he come with me? Would he even BELIEVE me, for crying out loud?  
  
"Um, Danny," I began.  
  
Just then, a part in the Pokemon Center blew up. I mean, it just went BOOM really loud, sending bits of debris on everyone's head.  
  
"What the. . ." Danny began.  
  
Nurse Joy ran out, carrying a bunch of Pokeballs, looking worried. A few Chansey's and a Blissey waddled out, also carrying Pokeballs.  
  
"What was that?!" a few people screamed.  
  
"I was just tending to these Pokemon, when that part of the center blew up!" Nurse Joy cried. "I thought the whole thing was going to collapse, so I got all of the Pokemon and ran out here!"  
  
Everyone was crowding around Nurse Joy, asking more questions. I stared at the half-blown up Pokemon Center. Who could have done this?  
  
Danny ran up to Nurse Joy, asking if his Pokemon were all right. I looked at my feet, suddenly feeling stupid. That's when I saw it.  
  
It was a small circle container-like thing about three inches big. A huge crystal was inside of it, glowing a bit. I picked it up and stared at it. The crystal seemed to glow brighter.  
  
I gasped. "Omigosh," I whispered. I stuffed the round thing in my pocket and ran back to the river, forgetting about food and Danny. I jumped into the slightly murky water and quickly swam back to the den. The second I knocked on the door, Cielo let me in quickly and jumped onto the hard floor of the den.  
  
Several Dratinis looked up at me curiously. "Draaa?" they asked. I ignored them and ran to the ugly statue Moerumushi and Dreamstar had been attacking earlier. I took the circle thing out and held it up.  
  
I gasped again. The ugly statue of the ugly guy was holding the same circle thing I was.  
  
It was the same width and height. You could see a crystal-like shape etched into the statue.  
  
I fell to my knees. "What does this mean?" I wondered out loud, and my voice echoed in the den.  
  
Every Dratini and Dragonair was silent until there was a knock on the door Ceilo was guarding. In an instant, every single dragon cried out loud in fear and dove into the water, hoping to be hidden.  
  
With a scared look, Ceilo slowly opened the door. I spun my head around, still clutching the weird round thing.  
  
Someone burst from the water and fell into the den. Whoever it was was covered in mud and dirt. They shook a little of it out of their blonde hair and-  
  
"Danny?" I asked.  
  
He looked up at me and then all around the den. "What in the blue heck is this place?" he asked.  
  
I giggled and started helping him up, but still not letting go of the round object. I noticed out of the corner of my eye the crystal was glowing brighter. I was surprised Danny didn't notice it, but he was too busy taking everything in.  
  
"How did you find me?" I asked.  
  
"I saw you run away from the Pokemon Center after it blew up," he started to answer. "I just followed you." He took a deep breath. "How did you hold your breath that long anyway?"  
  
I laughed. "That's my secret."  
  
Danny raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "Okay, I'll ask this again: What is this place?"  
  
My grin faded and I looked at my feet. "It's. . .um. . .well. . ."  
  
Danny spun around and noticed Ceilo and Rio. His eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. "There are two DRAGONITES here!" he yelped.  
  
"What's so amazing about that?" I wondered out loud. "You have one yourself."  
  
"Yeah, but two in one place. . .man!"  
  
I smiled and shook my head. Then I looked at the water. "You all might as well come out," I cried as I waved my hands around. "He's going to be staying here awhile anyway!"  
  
One by one, each Dragonair and Dratini carefully slithered out of the pool, where they had all hidden together. I spotted Mystic right away and she hopped right over to me. "Draaa, Draaaagoooonair."  
  
"Yes, it's really Danny," I laughed. "He's going to stay here awhile," I repeated. "So you better get used to him."  
  
Mystic snorted and went to her basket in my room.  
  
I turned back to Danny. His face was white from shock, probably seeing all the Dragon Pokemon. "Whoa," he whispered.  
  
"Yeah, I know," I said, interrupting his trance. He looked at me with a confused look on his face.  
  
"April, why are you here?"  
  
I was so startled by the question, I finally dropped the round thing. A large Dratini I called Dawn grabbed it in her mouth and took it underwater. I noticed the farther away it got from Danny and I, the more the glow in the crystal subsided.  
  
I looked up at Danny and into his eyes. I just stared and stared until finally I spat out, "I don't know. I really don't. Mystic found this place, and then I found the Pokeballs, and the note, and then--"  
  
"Woah, wait a second!" Danny held up his hands and smiled. "That's too fast. Can you repeat that, but with details and in English?"  
  
I smiled sadly and looked at my feet again. I told Danny the whole story of how I got here-Mystic punctured my heart, we found the door, how I felt about Dad's note, all of the Pokeballs. When I finished, tears were streaming down my cheeks.  
  
"I don't know what I'm going to do," I blubbered. "I like training Pokemon, but I don't want to live here forever! I want to get out and see the world and capture more Pokemon and meet a lot of people and make some friends, but if I do that, I'll feel like I'm betraying Dad!" I took a small breath before continuing. "And if I stay here, it's going to make me sad because Dad did this exact thing, and it's all one place and-"  
  
"April, April," Danny interrupted. He took me in his arms. "Calm down. You're confusing me again," he said in a joking tone.  
  
I smiled and buried my face in his shirt. "I'm sorry," I said. "But I don't know what to do anymore."  
  
Danny just stroked my pigtails until I calmed down. When I looked up at him, suddenly I realized I was just so tired.  
  
"I'm going to take a nap," I said, gesturing to my room. "Will you be okay out here?"  
  
"Sure," Danny smiled, understanding. He pulled out a Pokeball and threw it into the air. A strong-looking Dragonite came out.  
  
"This is the perfect time to train Dragonite," he said. "If you don't mind."  
  
"What else is the den good for?" I joked as I staggered to my room. I closed the door and flopped onto my bed. Mystic looked up with surprise as the bed made a loud squeak.  
  
"Sorry," I mumbled. I buried my face in the flat pillow. I looked up with disgust.  
  
"God, this pillow is flat. Has this been here since Dad was around?" I asked to no one in particular. But Mystic looked up and nodded.  
  
I groaned and pulled some clothes out of my backpack to use as stuffing, not really caring they would get wrinkled. I took the old, flat pillow out of the pillowcase, and as I did, something fell and hit Mystic in the head.  
  
"Draaaagonair," she whined.  
  
"Sorry," I said again. I curiously picked up what had hit Mystic in the head. It was a dark book with a picture of a Dragonite taped onto the cover. I gasped when I read the words under the picture:  
  
"Journal of Chris Tamer." 


	16. Chapter Fifteen: The Journal That Lasted...

~Chapter Fifteen~  
  
I stared at the leather journal in my hands. My mouth was hanging open and I was pretty unaware of how stupid I looked, but I didn't care.  
  
I turned the journal over in my hands. A strip of material was set across the side of the journal where it was supposed to open, and a complicated device on the back cover held the strip and locked the journal.  
  
I decided to try and open it anyway. I tugged and pulled, but it wouldn't budge.  
  
"Dang it," I muttered, and drummed my nails on the back cover. I saw a weird circle-shaped lock. I thought that maybe you put something in there and somehow the journal would open.  
  
"Hmmmm. . ." I said out loud. The Dragonair ring Danny had given me glinted off of a light turned on near the bed. I smiled a sad smile and looked at the ring, then back at the journal, wondering how to open it. The ring, the journal. The ring, the journal. The ring. . .  
  
"That's it!" I cried, my eyes opening wide. I pulled the ring off of my finger-for the first time since Danny had given it to me-and stuck it into the hole, where it fit perfectly. I slowly turned it, and the journal clicked-and popped open.  
  
I just sat there, staring at the ring in one hand and the journal in the other. Mystic was snoozing in her basket. She did not realize what had just happened. She did not realize that the ring Danny had given me had opened Dad's journal.  
  
I blinked and absentmindedly slipped the ring back onto my finger. With shaking hands, I opened Dad's journal and started reading to myself.  
  
~*~  
  
"September 30 1974  
  
I can't believe that stupid Anthony! I know we've been rivals since forever, but he's gone too far this time. That stupid person says he's going to capture more Pokemon than me. Ha! We'll see about that!  
  
I'm going to capture more Pokemon than anyone ever, and become the best trainer in the universe. Maybe I can even get an Eevee to give to Serena- she's the girl I really like! She doesn't even look at me, though. She stares at Brian in Pokemon School all day long. Grrr, that Brian. Well, I don't think Brian will be able to get an Eevee when I start my Pokemon journey and capture more Pokemon than Brian or Anthony!"  
  
~*~  
  
I frowned. I was slightly confused. I pictured the first entry in my diary- it told my name, where I lived, and things about myself at that minute so if someone found it in the far, far future, they'd know who they were reading about.  
  
I reread the passage again, and my mouth dropped open when I read one particular part.  
  
"Serena!" I gasped. "That's mom's name!"  
  
I stared at Mystic. That's so sweet, I thought. If this Serena was my mom now, Dad married his first love! That's so romantic! I sighed and turned the page to the next entry.  
  
~*~  
  
"October 1, 1974  
  
I always thought Anthony was annoying, but now I really hate him. I thought we could be friendly rivals, like they show on those Pokemon TV shows, but he's so stupid! I ran into him earlier today when all I had was Mars, my starting Cydaquil. He already had three Pokemon, including his Chikorita! He challenged me to a battle and wouldn't take one-on-one. He laughed when he said I only had one Pokemon, but what did you expect-I was only about three hours into my journey!  
  
Then I ran into Brian. Guess what-Serena was tagging along with him! I heard she was going to stay with him through his whole journey! I was mad at Brian, and sad at the same time. Now I'll probably never get a chance at making Serena like me."  
  
~*~  
  
I raised my eyebrows. Dad, a romantic? And he was THAT set on trying to make Mom like him.  
  
I smiled and shook my head. I wondered how they met and then got married. I flipped through the rest of the diary, and saw it was only halfway filled. I guess Dad was too busy training Pokemon or something. I froze when I saw the date of the final entry.  
  
June 18, 1998.  
  
"That's. . .that's. . ." I stammered.  
  
I couldn't believe it.  
  
That was the day Dad died.  
  
I stared at the date for awhile, until my eyes drifted towards the entry written. I was so afraid to read it, like someone was forbidding me to, but I read it anyway.  
  
~*~  
  
"June 18, 1998  
  
I've decided I should probably leave the den today and go home to April and Serena. April does turn 10 in a few months, and she should then start her Pokemon journey and find out about the den. I already know how I plan to give her Mystic-as a birthday present. I know she'll love it. She's always loved Pokemon, even if I didn't really have any of the ones I talked about.  
  
I'm going to leave Cielo and Rio here as guards, though, and tell them if I don't come back in two weeks to go back in their Pokeballs.  
  
I managed to watch a little of the Champion's League battles on the TV in the Pokemon Center when I was buying some food. That darn Anthony was in there. I do feel sorry for Brian, it's a shame that those Krabbies killed him. But I'd never feel sorry for Anthony. We actually ran into each other and he laughed like a teenager that I was 'still in Ecruteak City.' Ha-ha. If only he knew about the den, then he wouldn't laugh. But he just asked about Serena. He's still mad I married her, I can tell. But a choice is a choice, and he chose to pursue Pokemon instead.  
  
I'm going to leave this journal here until I return. I hope everything's still here and waiting for me when I get back."  
  
~*~  
  
My eyes filled with tears. I felt like a Pokemon about to use Rage, and started building up. Finally, I threw the journal across the room and stood up and started screaming.  
  
"WHAT HAPPENED? How did it happen? How did he die why couldn't he have just stayed, why-"  
  
Danny suddenly burst into my room and saw me in my rage. "April, what the-" he started to ask, but then he knew it was useless to try and talk to me right then. He sat me down on my bed and held me until my screaming was reduced to quiet sobs.  
  
"Shhh. It's okay April," he whispered  
  
"No it's not," I whimpered, burying my face in his shirt.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked, and started to stroke my pigtails. I was getting too used to that, but I didn't care.  
  
"I-I found-" I started to say, but then a new thought dawned upon me: the ring. The ring Danny had given me had opened Dad's journal.  
  
What did THAT mean?  
  
"April?" Danny asked . "Oh!" I cried, and looked up. Danny was staring at me with worry and concern in his eyes.  
  
I looked at my hands and twisted the ring around on my finger. I took a deep breath. "Danny," I began. I stopped turning the ring and just stared at it. "Where did you get this ring?"  
  
"I, uh," he said. He looked at his feet. "Well, I don't want to lie to you, but I really don't know. It just appeared somehow in my bag, and I knew it belonged to you."  
  
I stared at the ring and wondered how something could have just appeared like that. Maybe a Pidgeot picked it up and accidentally put it in his bag, I thought.  
  
"Danny," I said. "This ring opened up Dad's journal."  
  
I walked across the room and picked up the journal where I had thrown it. I locked it and demonstrated how I opened it for Danny. He looked just as confused as I felt.  
  
"Did you read it?" he asked.  
  
I slipped the ring on my finger again and sighed. "Not really. Just the first two entries and the last one. . ." I trailed off.  
  
"What about the last one?" Danny asked.  
  
"It. . .it was the last one he wrote before he died," I said, and Danny raised his eyebrows. "He was coming home that day. He was coming home from the den and. . .he didn't have a chance."  
  
Danny opened his mouth to start to say something, but just then, there was a loud cry from Cielo. I heard some more screaming, but I didn't think it was the Pokemon.  
  
Mystic woke up and snorted. Her bright eyes opened wide and she slithered to the door. Danny peeked outside and turned to me. "I think there's someone here." 


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Uhhh, What's a Battle?

Ok, this chapter is sort of weird. You won't get most of the jokes or anything unless you've somehow read my veeeeeeeeeeery old fic, Your Soul Will Stay the Same. No, I don't have it post on ff.net, and it will never be. It sucks. Anyway, that's where these freaky people come from-that fic.  
  
You know, why am I sitting here explaining nothing when you could be reading the next chapter! So read it!  
  
~Chapter Sixteen~  
  
My mouth dropped open. "What?!" I cried. "How can there be someone here? What is this, a club or something?! 'Come see the Confused Dragon Tamer with a zillion dragon Pokemon!' What-"  
  
Danny held his hand up to stop my blabbering. "Look, just go out there. They're just kids, and it looks like they got in here by accident. They don't look like they know WHERE they are or anything."  
  
I bit my lip and then shrugged and walked out of my room. Mystic followed me with a confused look on her face.  
  
I stood at the opposite side of the pool, near Rio. There were four of the kids. One had longish brown hair that was quite dark but not dark enough to be black. She wore a blue and white baseball cap, a dark blue T-shirt with a white vest, jeans, and white sneakers. A Pikachu was gasping for breath near her feet.  
  
The only guy in the whole group, I noticed, had reddish hair and wore a yellow T-shirt and red pants. I winced, since that combination was really bright. The other girl, who had very long blonde hair, was wearing a drenched purple shirt with purple pants and purple sneakers with little red circles coming from the sides-and what looked like miniature WINGS coming from the circles.  
  
Two Espeons were at their feet, trying to lick the mud off of each other. I raised my eyebrows and looked at the last girl, who looked older than the others. She had light brown hair that was in low pigtails, and wore a green shirt, light blue pants, and muddy green boots.  
  
"Uh," I began, "Hello."  
  
The girl with the dark hair looked up, panting. "Ummm. . .hi. Where the heck ARE we?"  
  
The girl with the blonde hair looked up and laughed. She patted the guy on the back. "Look Chris! We got ourselves in the middle of a cave! And you thought this river would lead nowhere!"  
  
The guy-or I guess, Chris-picked up one of the Espeons and stroked its head. He looked around and saw me. "Hey, who's that?"  
  
"Hey," the girl with the dark hair yelled. "Who are you?" Chris laughed. "I could have done THAT, Ashley."  
  
I didn't laugh. I just stared. How did they get here? Would they tell anyone about the den?  
  
"Uhhh. . ." the girl muttered.  
  
I shook my head and blinked. I jogged over to the people. "Sorry," I said. "I'm April. How did you get here?"  
  
I heard Cielo snort and shake his head, but everyone else ignored him.  
  
"Christl-my Espeon-fell in the lake, and he floated away," Chris started to say. "I jumped in after it, and I guess everyone else jumped in after me."  
  
"Yeah, I was worried about him!" the girl with blonde hair smiled. "By the way, I'm Tiffany. Or Tiff."  
  
"I'm Ashley," the girl with dark hair said.  
  
"My name's Suzie," the girl with light brown hair said. (A/N: See, Your Soul Will Stay the Same made fun of Ash, Misty, and Brock. Ashley=Ash, Chris=Misty, and Suzie=Brock [you know, Suzie's the breeder with Vulpix?]. Tiffany was a different character someone created.)  
  
I paused, wondering whether to tell them who I was, since when this little group left, there was a chance they would tell someone about the den. But then I realized I was being stupid. None of these people had even LOOKED at the pool, and barely looked at Cielo or Rio.  
  
"I'm--" I started carefully.  
  
"--I'm wondering how you got here!" Danny suddenly exclaimed behind me. I jumped and turned around.  
  
"They fell in the lake," I explained.  
  
Danny nodded and stared at Suzie, then Ashley, then Chris, then Tiffany, then nodded again.  
  
Just then, Dawn the Dratini leaped out of the pool, making everyone jump in surprise. I noticed Suzie's eyes widen as Dawn slithered over to me. She was holding the globe with the crystal inside.  
  
"Uh," I started, just to direct everyone's attention away from the dragon Pokemon. Ashley stared at me, then at Mystic. "Heeey, can we battle?! I'd love to battle that Dragonair!"  
  
"What? Battle Mystic?" I yelped. I hadn't battled in what felt like YEARS. I wasn't even sure I knew HOW to battle anymore.  
  
"Yeah!" Ashley cried. "Please?"  
  
I looked out to the pool and smiled slyly. "Okay," I agreed. "And, just because you got here by accident, you can choose your opponent."  
  
"Huh?" Ashley, Suzie, Chris, and Tiffany asked at once.  
  
"Well, there are different dragons with different abilities," I explained. "Like Melanie is skilled with fire-type moves. And Sandra is great at water and ice-type moves. And there are plenty of others."  
  
While I was explaining this, I noticed Dawn secretly slither over near Tiffany and Chris, who were holding hands. The crystal glowed bright for a moment and then dimmed. Then she slithered to Ashley, and the crystal glowed so bright I wasn't sure how no one else was noticing it.  
  
"I want the toughest one you got," Ashley replied suddenly.  
  
I blinked and stared at her. "The toughest one?" I laughed. I rubbed Mystic's horn. "THIS one's the toughest one I've got."  
  
Ashley laughed. "A Dragonair? Well how about I battle-" She stopped, looked around, and stared at Rio. "How about that Dragonite?"  
  
I sighed. "Believe me, if you want tough, you're going to get tough. Mystic was my starting Pokemon, and she knows moves you've probably never even heard of."  
  
It was Ashley's turn to blink. "Well, okay," she said. She picked up the Pikachu and whispered something to him. The Pikachu jumped out of her arms and onto the ground, sparks flying out of his cheeks.  
  
"Go, Mystic," I said. Mystic gracefully slithered near the Pikachu and stared evilly at him.  
  
I looked at Ashley. "You can make the first move."  
  
"All right," Ashley grinned. "Pikachu, Thunder Wave!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Reflect," I simply said. Mystic spun around and some sort of energy appeared in front of her. Pikachu tried his Thunder Wave, but it was deflected.  
  
"Whaaaaaa.?" Ashely croaked. Then she cleared her throat and said, "Uh, okay. Thunderbolt, Pikachu!"  
  
Pikachu began to charge electricity, and at first I was worried because Ashley probably had something planned to get past Mystic's reflect. But suddenly, I thought of the perfect way to leave Mystic unscathed.  
  
"Mystic, start charging up an Ultra Beam!" I commanded. She wasted no time and immediately started to glow a rainbow color.  
  
I saw Tiffany stare at Mystic with a strange look on her face. "Ashley's battled some Pokemon with weird strategies and moves before, but I've never even HEARD of an Ultra Beam," she whispered to Chris.  
  
I simply thought, You'll see. You'll all see how special this den is and how special the Pokemon are in it.  
  
Just then, Pikachu let off his Thunderbolt and Mystic's Ultra Beam was ready. She fired a rainbow beam that was colored with fire, electricity, bits of grass, ice, water, and psychic attacks. It hit the Thunderbolt with no problem and then Pikachu dead center. Pikachu fainted.  
  
"Whaaaaa. . .?" Ashley said again. She ran to Pikachu and picked him up. "You tried your best," she said to him. Then she looked up at me. "How did you DO that?"  
  
I looked at the floor, and noticed Dawn once again slither near me and Danny. The crystal ball in her mouth was glowing so bright, I felt like I needed sunglasses.  
  
"Er," I began. "Well, I'm afraid I can't tell you that." I looked up at them. "I'm sorry, but you must leave right now. There's a lot of danger if you stay here any longer. I can't have anyone knowing about this place."  
  
Chris held up his hand. "Oh, we won't tell. We all respect that."  
  
"Yeah," Suzie agreed. I could tell they were being sincere, and smiled. I looked at Ceilo, and he nodded.  
  
"Celio-the Dragonite over there-will show you out," I said, pointing to Ceilo. "Remember, don't ever tell anyone you were here. Forget that battle even happened, Ashley."  
  
She grinned. "I don't know if I can, but I'll try."  
  
I grinned back, and they all walked towards Cielo. The Dragonite opened the door and somehow, the whole group made it out. The door closed with a big band and suddenly, I was alone again.  
  
Well, of course not alone. I had two Dragonites, many Dragonairs, Mystic, and plenty of Dratinis. And of course, Danny.  
  
I sighed and looked around. "Well," I said. "I never did take that nap."  
  
Danny laughed and put his arm around me. "I can only imagine how tired you must be. Here, I'll help you to your room."  
  
I smiled as I watched Mystic jump into the pool with Moerumushi, the handsome Dragonair I kept seeing her with, and Dawn slither away to the bottom of the pool, the crystal ball still in her mouth. 


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Eighteenth Birthday S...

~Chapter Seventeen~  
  
It's now been three years. April is about to turn eighteen. She is still living happily in the den with Danny and all of her dragon Pokemon.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Mystiiiiiiiic!" I chanted happily. I grinned and looked all around for my Pokemon.  
  
Suddenly, she jumped out of the water and appeared in front of me. I thought she looked a bit tired, but maybe because this was the first time I had seen her all morning. She had probably been swimming all night.  
  
I knelt down to her level. "Do you know what today is?" I whispered in her ear.  
  
Mystic snorted and nodded. She coiled herself up and stayed absolutely still. "Of course. It's your birthday," her voice said in my head.  
  
"Yes!" I cried. "I turn eighteen today!"  
  
"Has your mom or Morgan called?" Mystic questioned.  
  
"No and no," I answered. "I don't know if I even want to talk to them. . ."  
  
"Apriiiiiil. . ." Mystic scolded.  
  
"Well, I should spend my eighteenth birthday with my boyfriend!" I said in a voice a little louder than a whisper, because Cielo had just let Danny into the den. He was carrying something behind his back with a smug grin on his face.  
  
"April," he said. "Go in your room, and don't come out until Mystic comes in, okay?"  
  
"Sure," I smiled like I didn't know what was going on. Of course. This was just like Danny. He was going to decorate the den like he had for my last few birthdays and have all of the dragons as my guests at a birthday party.  
  
I walked into my room and shut the door. I flung myself across my bed and pulled my diary out from under my pillow--the hiding place I had kept it all of these years.  
  
~*~  
  
"Dear Diary, I can't belive I actually turn eighteen today. EIGHTEEN! I wonder if I'll stay in the Den the rest of my life like Dad did-or, what I guess Dad did."  
  
~*~  
  
I gasped and stopped writing, and stared at the words written on the page, and realized something.  
  
I never did read Dad's whole journal.  
  
I never found out how he found the den.  
  
I didn't know anything of why he kept this den a secret.  
  
"Omigosh!" I yelped. I jumped up and started looking through the closet near my bed that had become filled with junk through the years. That journal had to be here SOMEWHERE, it just had to. . .  
  
"Ah-ha!" I cried. I found the leather book half-covered in dust on a small shelf in the closet. I blew the dust off and decided to read the entire journal.  
  
I had to find out the whole story of what my dad had been keeping from me.  
  
I took a deep breath and tried to open the journal, but it wouldn't budge. Then I remembered the ring was the key. I slipped it off my finger and into the lock, muttering to myself as how I never knew exactly how Danny found the ring.  
  
I finally got the journal open. The pages were yellowing and were a bit crumbly, so I carefully turned them and read.  
  
~*~  
  
"September 30 1974 I can't believe that stupid Anthony! I know we've been rivals since forever, but he's gone too far this time. That stupid person says he's going to capture more Pokemon than me. Ha! We'll see about that! I'm going to capture more Pokemon than anyone ever, and become the best trainer in the universe.  
  
Maybe I can even get an Eevee to give to Serena-she's the girl I really like! She doesn't even look at me, though. She stares at Brian in Pokemon School all day long. Grrr, that Brian.  
  
Well, I don't think Brian will be able to get an Eevee when I start my Pokemon journey and capture more Pokemon than Brian or Anthony!"  
  
~*~  
  
I smiled as I read this, remembering how surprised I was when I read it four years ago. I skipped ahead to the third entry, since I had also read the second one:  
  
~*~  
  
"October 5, 1974 I can't believe it. This is so STRANGE. Well, I think it is. Serena just thinks it's sad, and SO sad that's she actually crying on my shoulder with her eyes closed.  
  
Anyway, I guess I should explain what happened. I was running through the Viridian Forest, chasing a Pichu that I wanted to capture, when Serena ran into me. I mean, literally RAN INTO me. She was crying, so of course I asked her what was wrong. She told me she had been traveling with Brian when he fell into a river trying to capture a Krabby. Unfortunately for him, the Krabby's mother Kingler found Brian and. . .um. . .well I don't even like writing about this kind of stuff.  
  
But Serena was crying because now Brian's dead, and of course she's crying because she had a huge crush on Brian. But now I can't help thinking that maybe now he's dead, I'll have a chance to tell Serena how I feel, but of course I can't make a move until she feels a little better about Brian. But she said she wants to travel with me now, so maybe I won't have to wait as long as I think."  
  
~*~  
  
"Woah," I whispered. Someone had DIED on a Pokemon journey? That was weird.  
  
I thought at first maybe Dad had killed Brian in order to try and make Mom like him, but then I shook my head. Journals were a place to write your secrets. If Dad had done something like that, he would have written about it. I turned to the middle of the journal:  
  
~*~  
  
"March 12, 1981 Whew, today has been hard. Ceilo won't pay attention to me at all-I guess it's the nerves of being a father to Viento. She's just like her name, always flying gracefully in the wind-well, when she actually gets out of the den and she's not taking care of the egg. Viento's egg is, well, cute. I know, how on earth can an egg be cute, but it IS. If the Dratini is hatched in good health, I think I'll call it Mystic."  
  
~*~  
  
My eyes opened wide. Was this MY Mystic? Had Dad somehow known that I would nickname my Dratini Mystic, or was the Mystic he was talking about even my Mystic?  
  
Just then, my door flew open and Mystic jumped in.  
  
"Everything's ready?" I asked with a little less excitement than I had been feeling before.  
  
Mystic curled herself into a ball and sat completely still. "Not quite," her voice said to me. "But I want to show you something. I think you're ready."  
  
"Ready for what?" I asked, but Mystic was already hopping towards my door and gesturing her head for me to follow. She quickly slithered up to Rio so I couldn't stop to see what Danny was doing, and spoke to him in dragon language. Rio gave a surprised look and opened the door.  
  
Mystic went inside first, and I followed. It was pitch black.  
  
"Uh, Mystic?" I asked. Suddenly, there was a bright glow. I squinted and saw Dawn coming into the room with that ball in her mouth. It was making the light.  
  
Dawn nudged my leg with her nose, indicating me to pick up to object. I took it and held it up. The crystal inside was glowing brighter than ever. I wondered what made that light.  
  
"Draaaaaaaa, draa, dragonair, nair," Mystic cried. In the dim light surrounding her, I could see Mystic sitting near a podium-like thing with a glass case on top.  
  
"Should I put this-uh, thing-in there?" I asked.  
  
Mystic nodded.  
  
I carefully opened the case and gingerly put the crystal ball inside. When I closed the glass case, the light shone extremely bright for a second, and then the room was fully lit.  
  
I grinned, and was about to look around the room, when the light dimmed, and the room was pitch black again.  
  
"What the-" I started. But I shut up when I heard Mystic's voice in my head. I couldn't see her since the room was so dark, but I imagined her sitting frozen with fear.  
  
"What happened?" her voice cried. "That wasn't supposed to happen. That crystal is supposed to shine forever!"  
  
"Draaa, dratini dra dra."  
  
"WHAT?! But how could it be? That-" She must have started moving again, because her voice cut off.  
  
What on earth is going on? I thought. What was Mystic talking about?  
  
"Mystic?" I called out.  
  
I felt her tail wrap around my wrist. I was startled at first, but then I realized she was leading me out. Dawn was hopping near my foot (I kept tripping over her tail).  
  
When we finally got out into the main part of the den, I was panting. Mystic's eyes were wide open, and Dawn just hopped into the pool.  
  
I looked up and saw streamers all over the walls of the den. The rosebushes looked especially bright and bloomed, and Cielo was wearing a wreath of roses on his head.  
  
"Danny?" I called.  
  
Something in the pool made a splash, and when the water dropped back into the pool, Danny was swimming along with most of the Dragonairs and Dratinis.  
  
"Surprise!" he cried, along with the cries of the dragons.  
  
I jumped in, well, surprise, but Mystic, who was sitting next to me, didn't even flinch. Her eyes were still wide open in-fear? Surprise?  
  
Danny swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out. I ran to him and hugged him tightly.  
  
"Thank you," I said.  
  
"You haven't seen anything yet," he replied as we let go of each other. He grinned and ran to a table that had been set up near Ceilo. He gestured for me and Mystic and the other dragons to come over. I ran over towards him, and the dragons hopped out of the pool, but Mystic stayed where she was.  
  
I glanced at her before I looked at what Danny had put on the table. She still didn't move. Cries from the Dratinis forced me to look away.  
  
On the table was a huge cake decorated like a Dratini, a Dragonair, and a Dragonite all standing together. A number '18' was iced above the three figures.  
  
"Wow!" I cried. "This is amazing!"  
  
Danny smiled in response and put a single candle in the middle of the eighteen. He lit it with a match and began to sing.  
  
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear April! Happy birthday to you!"  
  
The dragons chanted along with the song. I listened for Mystic's voice, but I couldn't hear it. I looked over my shoulder, and she was STILL in the same position. I was about to run over to her when Danny said, "Make a wish!"  
  
I turned back to my cake and closed my eyes. I decided to make a wish that I knew would never come true . I wish I could see Dad again, I thought. Then I took a breath and blew out the candle.  
  
Danny clapped and the dragons cheered. There was still no response from Mystic, and I couldn't stand it anymore. I ran from the table, past the pool, and to Mystic.  
  
"Mystic, what is it?!" I cried. "What's wrong?"  
  
Mystic finally shook herself out of her trance. She looked at me and back at the spot she was staring at. "The statue. . ." she whispered.  
  
I looked at whatever she was looking at. "What statue?" I replied. "That statue! The one of the 'ugly guy'?"  
  
"Oh yeah, that one," I said. "What about it?"  
  
"It's gone!"  
  
"What?!" I cried. But then I relaxed. "So what? It WAS an ugly statue."  
  
Mystic sighed. "That was a statue of Anthony, Chris's enemy who always tried to steal your mother from him. And Anthony put it there to remind Chris that he had something Anthony wanted, and he would take it when he was ready to get Serena back."  
  
I gasped and immediately looked at the watch that was still on my wrist after all these years. I pushed down the cell phone card and dialed my home number.  
  
"Hello?" mom's voice asked.  
  
"Mom!" I yelped.  
  
"April!" she cried. "Happy birthday! How nice to finally hear from you."  
  
"Mom," I started. "Get out of the house right now."  
  
She chuckled. "What a greeting to give your mother."  
  
"Mom, I'm serious. Anthony is on the loose."  
  
At first I thought she had hung up the phone because I heard nothing. Then I heard a croaking sound.  
  
"Are. . .you. . .sure?" she whispered.  
  
"Yes," I said. "The statue is gone." I wasn't sure how much mom knew about this, but I said that just in case she knew what I was talking about.  
  
"Oh my God," she whispered, so I figured she knew what I was talking about. "April, I'm going to go. Don't call or try to contact me, and don't worry about me either. I'll avoid him. I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Mom," I said. "Be careful."  
  
"Bye honey," she said before hanging up.  
  
I looked over at Danny and the dragons. They were staring at me with confused looks on their faces. I sat down at the edge of the pool. Danny and the dragons walked and slithered over to me, and I told them the whole ugly story.  
  
When I was finished, tears were running down my cheeks. Mystic was on my lap trying to comfort me, and the rest of the dragons surrounded me. Danny had put his arm over my shoulder.  
  
"April, your mom will be fine," he said. "Anthony won't get her. She won't let him."  
  
I didn't say anything, but buried my face deeper in his shoulder.  
  
"Well, your mom said not to worry so you shouldn't," he concluded. I looked up at him, and he smiled.  
  
"Do you want to open your gifts?"  
  
"Gifts?" I smiled back. "Sure."  
  
Danny brought me a pile of brightly wrapped packages and set them beside me.  
  
"These are all from your friends," he said. "Nurse Joy gave them to me."  
  
I took the first package and looked at the tag. It was from Morgan.  
  
"Mo. . ." I smiled, and tore open the package. Inside was a jewelry box filled with more jewelry she had made herself.  
  
"These are beautiful!" I exclaimed, holding up a pair of blue earrings.  
  
Danny smiled in agreement.  
  
I opened up the rest of my gifts. I was so happy my friends hadn't forgotten me. After all, I hadn't kept in touch with most of them.  
  
I stood up and gathered the wrapping paper to throw away.  
  
"Hey wait, I didn't give you my gift," Danny cried. I dropped the wrapping paper and he stood up next to me. He handed me a long box covered in silver paper.  
  
I slowly opened it. The paper revealed a white box, and I opened it. Inside was a beautiful rose-it wasn't red, but a sort of goldish-red color with hints of amber.  
  
"It's beautiful," I said. I lifted up the rose and brought it to my face to sniff it, but something was glinting inside of it. I reached inside and took out a silver ring that was in the shape of a Dragonair, and coming out of its mouth was a diamond.  
  
I stared at the ring and smiled. "I love it, Danny," I said. "Thank you so much."  
  
Danny took my hand and stared at the floor. He took a deep breath. "April," he whispered so low I could barely hear him. "That's an engagement ring."  
  
"It's a-what?"  
  
Danny looked up and right into my eyes. "April, will you marry me?" he asked. 


	19. Chapter Eighteen: The Truth

~Chapter Eighteen~]  
  
I gasped and looked at the ring, and then Danny.  
  
Answer him you idiot, I thought to myself.  
  
I knew what I wanted to tell him, but my mouth couldn't form the words. It was like my tongue had been frozen.  
  
Since I couldn't speak at that second, I nodded slowly and stared at Danny.  
  
He broke into a huge grin and slipped the ring onto my finger. Then he leaned forward and kissed me gently.  
  
When we pulled apart, Danny took my hand. "I'm so glad you said yes April," he said. "I really love you."  
  
Since my tongue still felt frozen from everything that was happening, I threw my arms around my fiance just to tell him I felt the same way.  
  
I had a feeling all of the dragons were watching us, but when I looked up, they all looked away. I laughed.  
  
Then I heard a large booming sound coming from the door Cielo was guarding.  
  
"Is someone at the door?" I whispered.  
  
Cielo make a grunting noise and reached for the door, but Mystic screamed. Everyone looked at her, and I heard her say:  
  
"Don't. Open. That. Door."  
  
Cielo obeyed, but I could tell she really wanted to open it.  
  
"April, tell everyone to go in the pool and for Dawn to come with us," I heard Mystic tell me.  
  
"Uh," I began. "Everyone, go in the pool except for Dawn. You come with us," I echoed.  
  
Mystic began to slither to my room and Dawn followed. I grabbed Danny's hand and ran after Mystic. I noticed Dawn had that crystal-ball thing in her mouth again. What was so important about that? I wondered.  
  
When we were all safely in my room, Mystic locked the door and dove to her bed.  
  
"Okay Mystic," I said. "What's going on?"  
  
"That was Anthony," she whispered. "He's after the crystal."  
  
"You mean in that ball?" I asked, looking at Dawn. Dawn dropped the crystal, looked at me, and nodded, answering for Mystic.  
  
Mystic looked at Dawn and said a few things to her in dragon language, and then Dawn slithered to the door, opened it, and went away.  
  
"Now I'm really confused," Danny admitted, and I giggled.  
  
"Me too," I confessed. "I have no clue what's going on here, and Mystic won't tell me anything-"  
  
Mystic snorted to interrupt me, and then sighed. "It's been so many years," she said sadly, and seemed to be holding back tears. "So many long years. I guess-you should know.  
  
"It all started when your father was about ten. He got his Pokemon license and all that. He started his journey, like you, and went to the gyms. As you know, Brian was killed, so Serena-your mother-started following Chris around as a companion. And Cielo, my mother, who was a Dragonair then, gave both of them the power to breathe underwater, just like I did. And they found this den together."  
  
"But how'd they find the key?" I interrupted, thinking of that day when I found the den.  
  
Mystic shrugged. "Chris's father or someone gave him the key. I don't know very much about how he got it.  
  
"Anyway, they lived in this den and even got married in this den. When Serena found out she was pregnant with you, April, she decided to move 'back up on land' she called it. Chris didn't want to leave the dragons, but he also didn't want to leave your mother. So they bought a house near New Bark Town and lived there until you were born. Then Chris lived at the den on and off. He decided to claim being a Pokemon trainer-to protect you, I suppose."  
  
"Protect me from what?" I asked.  
  
"Well-from Anthony, mostly," Mystic replied. "Anthony didn't know where your house was, but he knew where the den was by following Chris. Whenever Chris left, Anthony would 'leave his mark' by. . ."  
  
"By what?" Danny whispered. I looked at him in surprise, thinking that he couldn't understand Mystic. Then I realized that Mystic was telling her story so intently, anyone could probably hear her.  
  
"By killing one of the dragons," Mystic answered in a voice so low, you could practically hear the wind above the river.  
  
I gasped. "How could he?!" I cried.  
  
"Anthony is just pure evil," Mystic growled. "Well, Chris started to become afraid he would lose all of us. So-"  
  
"When I was seven, he went to live in the den permanently," I finished.  
  
"Exactly," said Mystic. "And no, he didn't die from a 'tragic event of Mount Silver'. It was really. . .Anthony."  
  
My room became dead silent.  
  
"How could anyone go that low?" I whispered, and began to cry. I finally knew the truth, the whole truth, and it hurt.  
  
"There's more," said Mystic.  
  
"Isn't this enough?!" I exclaimed. "I can only take so much on one day! For crying out loud, today's supposed to be my birthday! It's supposed to be happy, and all I'm doing is finding out how my father died!" I smashed my face into my pillow and sobbed.  
  
"It's about the crystal," Mystic said, ignoring my tears. "Anthony created that crystal to prove he was supposed to marry Serena, and not Chris."  
  
I looked up. "What?"  
  
My Dragonair sighed. "I don't know how he created it. It's supposed to glow whenever whoever's holding it is near someone they truly love. And if the glow is bright enough, they are soul mates."  
  
I smiled a little, thinking of how bright the crystal became whenever it was near Danny and I. Were we soul mates?  
  
My smile quickly turned into a frown when Mystic continued. "Anthony would always try to hold it near Serena, but it hardly glowed at all. He would get so mad, especially whenever Chris held it near Serena. It glowed so bright then. Anthony got so mad that he threw it somewhere, I don't know where, and decided to get Serena his own way."  
  
"I think he tossed it near Ecruteak City," I said. "One day there was a really big explosion and it rolled at my feet."  
  
Mystic gasped and jumped on my lap. "Why didn't you tell me this?" she barked. "Oh no, oh no, we could have prevented it sooner, now there's no way-"  
  
"What are you talking about?" I demanded to know.  
  
"That explosion was probably caused by Anthony. He was most likely looking for the crystal! If he knew you were a Tamer, well, who knows!"  
  
I gasped again, thinking I knew what the 'who knows' meant. That-that Anthony would KILL me, probably out of rage.  
  
Mystic unlocked the door with her mouth and then picked up the crystal. "Follow me!" she cried. She slithered out of the door and make a motion at the pool. Every single dragon leaped up and went towards Rio's door. All but one.  
  
I noticed Mystic shake her head at one certain Dragonair, and he leaped back into the pool. But I didn't have time to wonder what that meant when Rio opened the door and we were back in the Mystery room-me, Danny, Mystic, and all of the dragons. 


	20. Chapter Nineteen: How Could I Forget?

~Chapter Nineteen~  
  
There were a lot of cries of confusion coming from the younger Dratinis and Dragonairs. I felt like crying myself, since it was still pitch black in the room.  
  
"The crystal!" I heard Mystic say. "April! Come over here!"  
  
"Where are you?" I cried.  
  
"To your right."  
  
I walked to the right, accidentally stepping on two Dratini tails. They barely even noticed since they were so scared.  
  
I found Mystic sitting against a wall, holding the crystal ball in her mouth. I cradled my hands and she dropped it into them.  
  
"Now what?" I asked.  
  
"Go find Danny," she answered.  
  
I had no idea where he was. All I saw were long moving shapes, if I could see anything at all.  
  
"DANNY!!!" I yelled.  
  
"April! Where are you?!" I heard him shout back. I waved one arm in the air, even though I doubted he could see it.  
  
Miraculously, he found me after a few minutes. "April, where are we?" he asked.  
  
"I'm not sure," I admitted. "Mystic told me to find you for some reason. . .and she gave me the crystal. . ." I said, holding it up.  
  
Danny half-held the crystal ball in his hands, while I held the rest of it. It began to glow so bright, I had to close my eyes, so I didn't see it somehow light up the whole room.  
  
I opened my eyes and looked around, and gasped.  
  
The entire ceiling and all of the walls were made of crystal. The floor was paved with cement, and there were somehow a few rosebushes near one corner. A large podium made of some kind of blue material that was about three feet high was in the center of the room. A glass case was on top of it, but it was empty.  
  
"What's with all the crystal stuff?" Danny joked.  
  
Mystic didn't seem to take it lightly, and went right to the podium. She nosed around it for a few minutes, ignoring some dragon tails that were accidentally slapping her. She sighed and shouted something in dragon language, and everyone started slithering to the door, and went back outside into the pool.  
  
"What was that all about?" I asked. Now that everyone but Danny, Mystic, and I were out of the room, there was a strange echo.  
  
"Anthony's gone-for now," Mystic breathed with a sigh of relief. "I don't know where he went or if he's ever going to come back-which hopefully he won't."  
  
I was confused by the strange combination of words in Mystic's sentence, but ignored it with relief.  
  
"So, what do we do now?" Danny asked. "Do we still stay here in the den, or do we try to escape Anthony, or what?"  
  
Mystic shook her head. "We'll stay here and stand our ground, because we all BELONG here!"  
  
Danny chuckled. I wandered around the room, gazing at my dim reflection in the crystal walls. My eyes fell on those cluster of rosebushes in that one corner. I wandered over to them to smell the roses. I smiled a little, thinking of the roses my dad had frequently brought home to my mom after his "training."  
  
Was this where the roses had come from?  
  
I shrugged and peered behind the bushes. There was a patch of dirt and there were a couple of vine-like things growing out of the ground, surrounding something. I gingerly stepped into the bushes. I was curious about what was underneath those vines-I was drawn to it for some reason.  
  
I knelt down on my knees and shoved the vines out of the way. I saw a huge gray rock. I wanted to stop pulling-after all, what's so special about a big gray rock-but something made me keep pulling. I tugged at those vines for awhile, completely oblivious that Danny and Mystic were still in the room. When all of the vines were gone, I stared at what stood before me.  
  
It was more than just a big gray rock.  
  
Much more.  
  
It was my dad's headstone.  
  
"Omigod," I whispered. I looked at the ground beneath me and quickly stood up. Was my dad-BURIED under there?  
  
"Hey, April?" a voice asked, and it startled me. I spun around and saw Danny and Mystic standing on the other side of the rosebushes.  
  
"Yeah Danny?" I said in a timid voice. I thought my dad had been buried at-  
  
'You're stupid April. Remember? That was a lie. To "protect" you from all of this. Dad wasn't buried at Mount Silver. He was killed and buried here.'  
  
"Um, are you feeling okay?" Danny asked again, interrupting my thoughts.  
  
"His. . .grave. . ." I said. I was on the verge of tears.  
  
"Whose grave?" Danny asked. But his tone of voice told me he already knew the answer. His eyes widened and he whispered, "Your dad?"  
  
I nodded and bit my lip.  
  
Danny didn't say anything. He just walked through the bushes and hugged me.  
  
Mystic interrupted by yawning, and I managed a giggle.  
  
"What a day, what a day," I replied. "This has been the weirdest birthday. First we find out about Anthony, then I see what's in room after five years, and then I find dad's grave, and all kinds of weird stuff."  
  
Danny smiled. "You forgot the best thing," he said as he twirled my engagement ring around my finger.  
  
I grinned up at him, despite this whole mess. "You're right. I don't know how I could forget that."  
  
Mystic yawned even louder, and I laughed. "Okay, okay. I'm going to bed now! Sheesh!"  
  
Mystic slid out of the room and Danny and I followed her, hand in hand.  
  
"Are you going to sleep out here again?" I asked Danny when we reached the pool room. Ever since he came into the den, he had been sleeping out there with his Dragonite and all of the dragons.  
  
"Yeah," he answered, and rubbed my hand. "Sweet dreams April," he said.  
  
"I'll try," I laughed. I started walking to my room. I saw Mystic already in her basket and sleeping. I turned around and smiled.  
  
"Good night Danny," I said as I closed my door.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Of course I didn't fall asleep right away. How could I, after everything that happened? Plus, my room was still a mess after The Search for Dad's Journal. I sighed and shoved everything but Dad's journal into a corner. I picked the small leather book up and set it under my pillowcase-and got out my own diary. It had been so long since I last written.  
  
~*~  
  
"Dear Diary, Wowee. . .this has been the most eventful birthday ever, and not because I saw Mo or anything. To make a long story short, Anthony somehow got in the den and we were all in a panic. We got into this freaky crystal room to hide, and. . .I found dad's grave in there. This really gets me thinking: HOW COULD MY WHOLE FAMILY LIE TO ME ALL THOSE YEARS?! Did they think I would give away the 'family secret' or something?  
  
But the day doesn't end there. . .well actually, this happened at the start of my day-Danny proposed!!! It was soooo sweet. He hid the ring inside of a really pretty rose. I was kind of glad he didn't get down on one knee because that is soooo old fashioned, but I wouldn't really care how he proposed to me-not that I even thought he would!  
  
Oh man, my thoughts are all messed up. We haven't even talked about the wedding or anything because of this mess with Anthony. Oooo, if I could get my hands on that guy, I'd show him a thing or two about true love. . . I'm feeling kind of overwhelmed right now, and just so tired, so I think I'll actually try to go to sleep now.  
  
I will not think about you-know-who. No, no, no. . ."  
  
~*~ 


	21. Chapter Twenty: Good Loss, Bad Loss

~Chapter Twenty~  
  
"April, do you take Danny. . ."  
  
"Yes, yes I do," I giggled.  
  
"I now pronounce you husband and wife." He turned to Danny. "You may kiss the bride."  
  
Danny lifted up my veil and started to lean towards me. . .  
  
"DRAAAAAAAAGONAAAAAAAAAIR!!!"  
  
I opened my eyes and sat up so fast my pigtails hurt when they thumped against my back.  
  
I sighed. "Why did it only have to be a dream?" I whined sleepily. Then I remembered what had woken me up. The Dragonair cry. What on earth. . .  
  
"Mystic?" I whispered, and peered below my bed to see Mystic half curled-up in her basket, half up with a worried look on her face.  
  
"Mystic," I started again. "What was that?"  
  
The wing on Mystic's head twitched and she turned to me. "That was Gemstone," she cried, sounding hysterical.  
  
I thought for a minute and remember that Gemstone was a Dragonair Mystic had been spending a lot of time with recently. He was the only other Dragonair in the whole den that knew Ultra Beam, and he was really skilled with ice attacks.  
  
"So what was he screaming about?" I asked, slightly more awake now.  
  
Mystic turned away and stared at the door, and then started slithering out of her basket. "I think he was screaming 'Anthony'."  
  
My eyes bulged open and I threw my blankets off and opened the door so fast I was surprised it didn't fly off the hinges. Mystic followed after me, but I noticed she stayed behind my legs.  
  
I gasped and took in the scene before me. Dawn was shooting an Ice Beam at someone, curled up around the crystal. Tons of dragons were all over the place, screaming or just sitting and shaking in fear. . .but I didn't see Danny anywhere.  
  
"DAN-" I started to scream, but Mystic clomped her tail over my mouth. "That's Anthony, no doubt about it," she said to me.  
  
"Why is he HERE?" I thought to her.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe he's after revenge. Or maybe he couldn't find your mother at your house and is after you."  
  
I gulped. "I don't like either one of those," I whispered. Then I looked around some more. "I don't see Danny anywhere!!" I nearly screamed. Now I was the hysterical-sounding one.  
  
Mystic seemed to sense my fear. She jumped out of my room and started slithering at the edge of the den.  
  
However, I didn't have that slithering ability. Just out of being tired, I guess, I trip and fell on my face when I tried to walk out of my room.  
  
Dawn stopped using her Ice Beam. The screaming and running Dragonairs stopping running and screaming. In fact, the only movement was my breathing and someone walking over to me with an arm covered in Ice Beam.  
  
I scrambled to my feet and tried to walk back into my room, but I was so terrified my feet couldn't move. So I just stayed in one place, and let the person come to me.  
  
When he came into view, I knew it was definitely Anthony. He looked just like the statue in the den-he had on a long sleeved black shirt with black pants. In fact, he was entirely in black-probably so Cielo couldn't see him come in. He had brown eyes that even LOOKED evil, and messy brown hair.  
  
"Anthony," I hissed.  
  
"Ah, so you know me," he smirked. "Of course. Your dad probably told you all about me when he showed you this den."  
  
"He didn't get to because you killed him," I said in a low voice, not taking my eyes off Anthony.  
  
"Oh yes, I forgot that little detail," he smirked again. "You know, I couldn't find Serena at your house. That's bad. That made me very unhappy. And we know what happens when I get unhappy," he said, drawing a knife out of his pocket.  
  
I choked back a scream. I started to move backward into my room, panting short little breaths. It was amazing I was even able to move considering how scared I was.  
  
'April, don't be stupid. Don't get him even more angry. Don't let him get that knife anywhere near you.'  
  
Anthony laughed. "April, don't be scared. At least when I'm finished here, you'll all be with your father again. You want that, don't you?"  
  
"Ummm. . .uggh. . ." I muttered, still moving backwards. I was only inches away from that wall, and I really did not want to run out of walking- backwards room.  
  
"Well, don't you?" Anthony snickered. He lifted his knife up and aimed it with my throat.  
  
My breathing became even shorter. "So much for not letting that knife get anywhere near me. . ." I thought.  
  
"Chris was only killed because he was uncooperative. He fought against me and lost everything, including his life. Just don't fight and you won't lose your life," Anthony continued.  
  
Behind him, I saw someone come inside my room very quietly. It was Danny and Mystic! I wanted to run towards them, but I knew better. I closed my eyes and thought a little message to Mystic. She nodded and started drawing some energy from somewhere and with a cry, released her Ultra Beam attack into Anthony's back.  
  
"ARRRRRRRRGUH!!" he yelled. He spun around and saw Mystic, with an equally evil look in her eyes. Danny looked scared, but then I realized it was just for me when he ran over to me and gave me a huge hug.  
  
"April!" he cried. "Are you alright?" he asked.  
  
"Fine," I whispered. "But where were you?"  
  
"It's not a good time for chitchat," Anthony laughed. "You'll have plenty of time to talk once you both are gone, and I can claim this den for Serena and I!" he bellowed, and held his knife up with his unfrozen hand.  
  
Suddenly, I felt as if I were hearing my dad's words in my head. It was almost as if I was actually seeing him, talking to him again.  
  
"April, you knew this would one day come, your face-off with Anthony. Honey, he really is pure evil. His only desire has been to kill and get exactly what he wants, and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Just remember, your Dragons are not there to battle other Pokemon. . ." his voice trailed off.  
  
I opened my eyes wide. "That's it!" I cried.  
  
Anthony looked at me weird and laughed. "You are ready to accept the fact that I WILL get just what I deserve? That I will FINALLY get what I wanted years ago?!" He held his knife right against my throat, pulled back, and cried, "This is for you, Serena!" he laughed wickedly as the knife came flying towards my throat.  
  
"DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGONAAAAAAIR!"  
  
Anthony was suddenly hit with a Fire Blast, an Ice Beam, a Thunderbolt, and so many other attacks, I couldn't possibly name them all. He dropped his knife and Danny immediately snatched it up. Anthony continued to cry in pain. I saw Mystic in front. She had used another Ultra Beam, and her sides were heaving from loss of energy.  
  
"People who just do bad things can change, but people who are pure evil do not deserve to ever live. You caused so many people pain and losses," I said to him, even though he probably couldn't even hear me.  
  
Dawn came up just then, holding the crystal in her mouth. She handed it to me.  
  
"What?" I asked. She just looked at me, then Danny, and then started using a Water Gun on Anthony.  
  
I looked at Danny. He stared at the crystal, and started to hold it with both hands. I did the same, and he took both of my hands so we could hold the crystal together.  
  
A huge beam of light shot out of it, and Anthony cried out one last thing: "Serena was supposed to miiiiiiiiine!" as all of these attacks finally got to him and he dissolved into nothingness.  
  
I fell to my knees and the crystal rolled away. "What was THAT all about?" I asked.  
  
Mystic collapsed into my lap. "Draaa," she whined pitifully.  
  
I stroked her horn. "Oh Mystic," I sighed. "What happened?"  
  
"She's probably tired," Danny spoke up. "She used a lot of energy."  
  
I gasped. "For. . .for me. . ." I said, tears forming. All of the dragons. . .they had used up so much energy and used their attacks just for me.  
  
"Maybe a little TOO much energy," Mystic said in a raspy voice. "I feel so weak."  
  
"Mystic?" I asked, feeling alarmed.  
  
"Maybe we should get her to a Pokemon Center," Danny said, noticing Mystic and I just sitting there.  
  
Mystic shook her head with great effort. "It wouldn't help," she said, again in the raspy voice. Her big, beautiful dark eyes stared at me. "April. . ." she whispered. "I'll always. . .remember. . .you," she said as her eyes closed and her head fell from my lap and onto the floor. 


	22. Chapter Twenty One: The Funeral

~Chapter Twenty-One~  
  
Everything was silent. Nothing moved a muscle. The few Dragons that were in my room had stopped cold. Danny was staring at Mystic's body with a surprised expression on his face.  
  
I had no idea how I looked. All I knew was that this really didn't happen. I was dreaming. Having a nightmare. It HAD to be a dream. . .a nightmare.  
  
"April?" Danny whispered.  
  
That's when it hit me. This wasn't a dream. I was awake, and this was really happening. Mystic was. . .gone.  
  
My breathing began to get really short and raspy as I attempted to hold in my sobs. "No," I said softly. "No, no, no!" I kept crying until I was practically screaming. "Mystic!"  
  
The Dragons that were in my room quietly left. I was just waiting for Mystic to get up and join them, but no-she was. . .dead.  
  
"If Anthony wasn't dead right now, ooooh man, I'd kill him," I muttered.  
  
Danny didn't say anything. He just sat down next to me and put his arm around my shoulders in attempt to keep me sane.  
  
It wasn't working too well. I kept crying and shouting all sorts of things, until my tears finally stopped about two hours later. I wanted to just cry until there was nothing left. I couldn't imagine living without Mystic. . .she was my best friend.  
  
Finally, I just sat there staring at Mystic's body, not making a sound. Danny let go of me and silently left my room.  
  
I was glad. I needed some time alone.  
  
I carefully picked up Mystic's now-cold body and put it in her basket.  
  
"You can't be dead," I whispered. "See, you're just sleeping in your basket. . .that's all."  
  
Another hour passed and Mystic didn't move. It finally registered in my brain that she was really gone, and was never coming back.  
  
The tears started flowing again, but they were silent. I didn't cry for more than a minute, when Danny slowly came into my room.  
  
"Are you okay, April?" he asked quietly.  
  
I took a long, shaky sigh and wiped my red eyes. "I don't know," I said. "I mean, I believe it that she's gone, but I don't know how I'm going to live without her."  
  
Danny nodded and shifted uncomfortably. "I, um, had an idea. . ." he started.  
  
"Yeah?" I croaked.  
  
"I was thinking that we could have funeral for Mystic. . .and bury her next to your dad. That way, if you went to talk to one of them, the other would close by."  
  
I stared at the floor thinking for a minute. Then I started crying again, and Danny noticed.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry April," he said, running over to me and putting his arm over my shoulder.  
  
"Don't be," I sniffled. "I think it's a great idea."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yeah. It's perfect," I smiled.  
  
Danny smiled back.  
  
~*~*~  
  
A day later, I was standing in my room, pulling sheets over Mystic's body, which was in her basket. Today was the funeral. Danny was out getting something, though he wouldn't tell me what.  
  
I noticed that all of the dragons were going to the crystal room. I was touched that Mystic had been special to all of them. . . but then again, Mystic was the one who had led me here, so I suppose that's why they were all grateful.  
  
I lifted one of the sheets up from under Mystic. Something popped out, flew across the room, and landed on my bed.  
  
I gently put down the basket and looked at the object on my bed, and gasped.  
  
It was an egg.  
  
A Pokemon egg.  
  
Mystic's child's egg.  
  
I jut stood there in shock for a minute. Why hadn't Mystic told me about this? How long had she had the egg?  
  
I was about to burst into tears again, but I heard Cielo say hello to someone, then open the door, and I knew Danny was back. I took the egg and hid it under my pillow. I couldn't deal with it now.  
  
Danny stuck his head into my room, holding something HUGE behind his back. "Ready?" he whispered.  
  
I nodded and put one last sheet over Mystic, picked up the basket, and slowly walked next to Danny out of the room. I couldn't tell him about the egg for some reason, so I concentrated on Mystic's. . .funeral.  
  
"What did you get, anyway?" I asked.  
  
"You'll see in a minute," Danny answered.  
  
When we reached the crystal room, every single dragon, even Cielo and Rio, were standing in a sort of half-circle around the dirt patch that already had dad's grave on it. Danny and I walked through the dragons until we reached the patch.  
  
Danny put down the thing he was holding. When I saw it, I burst into tears again.  
  
Danny had somehow gotten Mystic a beautiful headstone. It was made of some sort of stone, and a crystal Dragonair statue was on top, its body curling around the rounded shape of the headstone. I squinted to read the words inscripted:  
  
"Mystic, not just a loyal Pokemon, but a loyal friend forever. We will always miss you, and keep you in our hearts."  
  
It was so beautiful and true, I burst into tears again and gave Danny a hug.  
  
"How did you get that?" I whispered.  
  
"I had a friend make it for me," he smiled, and hugged me back.  
  
The dragons all cried out then, so I let go of Danny and nodded to Cielo, who grabbed Mystic's basket and gently put it in the hole that had been dug next to Dad's grave. Danny drove the headstone near the hole.  
  
I stood next to the headstone and took a deep breath. "Mystic. . ." I started. "Mystic was my best friend. She helped me find this wonderful den, and helped me understand about dad.  
  
"I remember when I first got her Pokeball. It was the night I found out Dad had died, and my mom gave me the Pokeball. I wanted nothing to do with Pokemon, as I thought they had somehow killed my father. So, I put the Pokeball away, and I thought I'd never see it again.  
  
"Two years later, thankfully, I found the Pokeball and I went away from home. From the minute I saw Mystic, I knew she was something special. She understood me like no one ever had.  
  
"Then, when I was fourteen, Mystic helped me discover the den. And now here we are, years later, saying goodbye to our old friend. . .Mystic."  
  
At that last word, I began crying again. Cielo covered the hold with dirt and said something in dragon language. Then, one by one, each Dratini and Dragonair stepped up to the headstone and touched their tails or horns to it, saying goodbye. Then they would leave the room.  
  
Finally, Danny and I were the only ones left in the room. I stared at the headstone, and Danny took my hand.  
  
"She's not really gone," I said, and wiped my eyes with my free hand. "Her spirit is in the den, and it's in my heart. Just like Dad."  
  
"I'm positive about that," Danny said, as we walked out of the crystal room, hand in hand. 


	23. Chapter Twenty Two: I'm Gonna Get Marrie...

~Chapter Twenty-Two~  
  
~*~  
  
It is more than two years later. April has turned twenty-one a few months ago, and is about to marry Danny. A little while after Mystic's funeral, she gave the Pokemon egg to Cielo, and has forgotten about it.  
  
~*~  
  
"So let's see. . ." I said, relaxing on my bed in my room. "Mom HAS to come. And so does Mo. But I'm not sure about my other friends. I haven't talked to them in. . .years."  
  
"So it'll be a small little ceremony," Danny concluded. He was sitting next to me. "Maybe we should just have it in the den, since not many people are coming."  
  
I looked up and grinned. "Perfect. We can have it in the crystal room." Danny smiled in agreement.  
  
I couldn't believe it. We were finally going to get married! It seemed like the world would fall apart after Mystic died, but Danny got me right back on my feet taking care of the rest of the dragons, and planning the wedding. At first I wanted a big ceremony with a big party, but that wasn't going to work out. Now we had our new plan, the perfect plan.  
  
Mom and Mo were going to come, providing that they found the den. Cielo was going to marry us. At first I thought that sounded a bit odd, but then I read more of Dad's journal and found out that a Dragonite had married mom and dad, so this was perfect. Tradition.  
  
"I think I'm going to take your last name, instead of you taking mine," Danny suddenly said, interrupting my thoughts.  
  
"Why?" I asked.  
  
"Well. . .Tamer just fits you. I think it's partly because of your name why everyone in your family has been a dragon TAMER. . ."  
  
I smiled again and kissed Danny. "I think that's perfect. Thank you."  
  
I sighed and stood up from my sitting position I had been in. "I think I'm going to say hi to Mystic," I said slowly.  
  
Danny nodded. "I'll go out with Dragonite. He hasn't been out of his Pokeball in ages."  
  
We walked out of my room and into separate directions. Rio let me into the crystal room, and I walked to Mystic's grave. The crystal Dragonair statue was still as beautiful as ever. Her headstone looked a little worn, but not nearly as bad as Dad's was.  
  
I touched the headstone that was Mystic's.  
  
"Mystic, I really wish you could be there in person when Danny and I get married. You would've made a great bridesmaid. . .I can just picture you, carrying some flowers in your mouth and slithering down the aisle.  
  
"I just wanted to thank you for everything. If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't be alive. Heck, I probably would have never gone out of the house, and would have just been a teacher or something." I laughed a little. "I love you, Mystic. And I always will."  
  
I took a deep breath and then touched Dad's headstone.  
  
"Dad," I whispered. "More than anything I want you to be there when I get married. I've wanted you around for the last twelve years of my life, but I want you to see me get married. I remember I was always stealing yours and Mom's silk white bedsheets and turning them into a wedding dress. Then you would carry me around the house, announcing I had been married, and mom would make a special dinner like I really had been.  
  
"I love you, Dad. I want you to be here with me, but I know now that's impossible. Don't worry about me. . .Danny and the dragons will all take care of me, as good as you did. Just like Mystic did."  
  
I would've started bawling right then, but Danny walked into the room. I heard the eerie sound of his footsteps echoing.  
  
I stood up and spun around. "Yeah?" I asked, still a little sad.  
  
Danny just wrapped his arms around me, and rocked me back and forth until I did cry, not because I had to, but because I needed to. I had been through so much in the past couple of years, and I needed some way to let it out.  
  
"I miss them so much," I said.  
  
"I know you do. I miss Mystic, too. And sometimes I miss your dad."  
  
I looked up. "Really?" This was surprising.  
  
Danny hugged me tighter, and kissed my forehead. "Yes, I do. After all, he helped bring his beautiful daughter into the world. And he helped make you who you are."  
  
I smiled. "I love you, Danny."  
  
He responded with a kiss.  
  
~*~*~  
  
A few minutes later, I was back in my room. Danny was in the training pool, taking a swim with his Dragonite. I was using that watch that I somehow still had from my eleventh birthday to call mom and Mo.  
  
I decided to call Mom first. I pushed the cell phone card in, and dialed my home number.  
  
After two rings, she answered.  
  
"Mom!" I cried.  
  
"April!" she said back.  
  
We laughed, and eventually I managed to invite her to the den for the wedding.  
  
"I can't wait to meet this Danny fellow," she said. "When is the wedding?"  
  
I paused, and went out to the pool.  
  
"Hey Danny!" I called.  
  
"Yeah?" he called back. He was trying to beat his Dragonite in a race, but there was no avail.  
  
"When should we have the ceremony?" I asked.  
  
He thought for a minute, and said, "Is three days from now okay with you?"  
  
I smiled. "Sure. In a hurry, huh?"  
  
Danny smiled back and went underwater. I walked back to my room and told mom the news.  
  
"I'd like to come a day early," she said. "There's something I'd like to give you," she answered.  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
Mom paused before answering me. "My wedding dress. I still have it, and it's like new. I've always dreamed of seeing you wear it."  
  
"Oh mom! That's wonderful!" I cried.  
  
"I even have the veil and everything," she continued. "So, make room for me!"  
  
"We will," I smiled, as we both hung up. Then I called Mo.  
  
Mo didn't answer until three rings later. "Hello?" she asked.  
  
"Guess who," I said.  
  
"APRIL!!!" she shrieked. "Omigod!!!! I don't believe this! I haven't heard from you in ages!"  
  
"I know," I laughed. The last time I had talked to Mo was on my twenty- first birthday. She wanted to come for the party, but wasn't able to make it. She had started Poke University, and was swamped with tons of work.  
  
"Well guess what?" I said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm getting married in-"  
  
"You're getting MARRIED?!"  
  
"Yes, I am. To Danny. Remember him?" I teased.  
  
"Yes of course I do. When's the wedding? I want to come."  
  
"That's why I'm calling you. I'm inviting you. The wedding's in three days."  
  
"I'll be there!"  
  
"Yahoo!" I cried happily. I gave Mo instructions on how to get to the den, then hung up. I ran to the pool to give Danny the happy news.  
  
"Are the three days over yet?" was his answer.  
  
I laughed and jumped into the pool. Maybe I could beat him and Dragonite in a race. 


	24. Chapter Twenty Three: The Wedding

This is a rather short chapter, but only because the wedding ceremony's so short, and weddings aren't my specialty, so. . .a short wedding! Woo!  
  
. . .  
  
Just read. . .  
  
~Chapter Twenty-Three~  
  
~*~  
  
Three days later. . .  
  
~*~  
  
"Oh honey, you look so beautiful. . ." Mom trailed off, smiling.  
  
I whirled around, the white dress spinning with my movement. Mom's wedding dress was perfect. I was mostly white, with some silver designs. The collars and shoulder sleeves were poofy, and the rest of the sleeves were long and slim. The rest of the dress was slinky and long, the end spilling out around my ankles. The veil made it perfect. It was VERY long, and covered most of my face.  
  
My wedding day was finally here. Mom had arrived yesterday morning, with the dress and everything. She thought Danny was very nice and told me I was so lucky to have found someone cute AND sweet.  
  
I heard the door outside being opened, and I knew Mo was here. I picked up the dress and started running to the training room, but Mom stopped me.  
  
"Danny's out there!" she cried. "And it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the ceremony. I'll bring Morgan to you."  
  
"Thanks Mom," I smiled.  
  
I grew excited when I heard Mo's voice coming closer and closer. Finally, we were screaming and hugging each other.  
  
"I can't believe it!" I cried. "It's really you!"  
  
"Omigod! April!" she shouted, jumping up and down.  
  
We screamed for a few minutes until Mom complained she was getting a headache. I smiled at this.  
  
"Just like when we were kids," I said. "Remember Mo?"  
  
"Yeah!" my best friend answered. "We would shout and run around the house, pretending to be Pokemon trainers, and then your mom would interrupt us and say-"  
  
"Stop shouting in the house girls!" we both said in unison  
  
Mom rolled her eyes, but smiled. "I remember that," she said thoughtfully. But then she looked at me.  
  
"Okay April, this obviously isn't going to be a big ceremony. . .so how will you do this?"  
  
"Well, you and Mo are going to watch," I giggled. "Cielo-Dad's Dragonite-is going to marry us. That's it, basically."  
  
Mom sighed. "Sounds familiar."  
  
"Yup. Just like how you and Dad were married," I said, and Mo raised her eyebrows.  
  
"That's so romantic!" she squealed. I nodded in agreement.  
  
"Okay," Mom said. "I'll get Danny and Cielo in the crystal room, and then I'll call you out. Come on, Morgan."  
  
"Good luck!" Mo said as she followed Mom out of the room.  
  
After they left, I sat on my bed and held the key that I still had after all these years in my hand. Dad's key.  
  
Dad, I thought. I know you're not here in person, but you're here in all of our hearts-not just today, but always. Always and forever.  
  
Mom poked her head in my room. "We're ready for you, April," she said with tears in her eyes.  
  
I slowly walked to the crystal room. Mom walked in ahead. I could hear music somehow playing, and Mo and Mom whispering.  
  
"Drag, Dragonite," I heard Cielo say, and I walked slowly inside.  
  
I discovered Gemstone played some kind of keyboard-that's where the music was coming from. Mo and Mom were standing on either side of Cielo, and Mom was already crying. Danny was standing in front of the podium with the crystal inside of it, just staring at me .  
  
I've never seen his eyes look like that before. They were staring at me, shining with something. I smiled at him and walked a little faster towards the podium.  
  
The actual ceremony was very short. Dragonite said some things, but of course no one could understand him. So finally, he got the crystal ball out of the glass case on the podium and handed it to Danny.  
  
"Dragonite, Drag, Draaag," he said.  
  
Danny held half of the crystal, and without saying a word, I handed my flowers to Mo and held the other half. A bright light filled the room, and when it dimmed, two gold rings had appeared. One was bigger, with what looked like a Dragonite molded into it, and the other was smaller, and it looked like the engagement ring Danny had given me, but there was no diamond.  
  
Danny slipped the Dragonair ring onto my finger, and I put the Dragonite one on his.  
  
"Drag, Draaagonite," Cielo said happily.  
  
Somehow, we both knew what that meant. Danny leaned forward, flipped my veil over my head, and kissed me.  
  
And of course, I kissed back.  
  
When I opened my eyes, Mo had finally started crying. I smiled, and suddenly, every single dragon was in the crystal room, crying out with glee.  
  
I felt myself being picked up, and saw that Danny was now carrying me. I put one arm around his neck and waved to Mom and Mo and all of the dragons as Danny carried me out of the room. 


	25. Chapter Twenty Four: More BIG News!

~Chapter Twenty-Four~  
  
~*~  
  
One year later. . .  
  
~*~  
  
All of the dragons surrounded us as Danny gave me a silver-wrapped box. "Happy anniversary, April," he said before kissing me.  
  
I just smiled as I handed Danny a gold-wrapped box. It's been a year, and he still amazes me.  
  
I unwrapped my box first, and gasped at what was inside. It was a small collage of pictures of me, Danny, and. . .Mystic over the years.  
  
I started crying when I saw it. "Thank you so much," I blubbered. "I love it."  
  
"I knew you would," Danny grinned as he opened his present. I had gotten him a gold chain for his wedding ring, because he was always complaining that it slipped off when he went swimming, and that he didn't want to take it off. Danny loved the chain and immediately put the ring on it.  
  
"Now you're always close to my heart," he said.  
  
I smiled. "You're so corny," I said, before kissing him again.  
  
~*~  
  
Three months later  
  
~*~  
  
I bolted for the bathroom. I was feeling sick again. I hadn't been able to work with the dragons in weeks, because I had felt miserable. Plus, I craved the weirdest foods. Twice I had to send Danny out to get ice cream, chicken, and pickles. For some odd reason, they tasted wonderful together.  
  
Danny came into the bathroom and winced as I threw up. He sat next to me and rubbed my back. I stopped being sick and leaned against him, rubbing my stomach.  
  
"I wonder what's wrong with you," he wondered. "Maybe it's all those freaky foods."  
  
"Maybe. . ." I trailed off, still rubbing my stomach. Suddenly, a thought came to me. I raised my eyebrows and slowly stood up.  
  
"I'm going out to get something," I said to Danny.  
  
"Are you sure? Maybe you should stay and rest," Danny frowned.  
  
I smiled. "No, I'd much rather go and get this myself."  
  
~*~  
  
One week later. . .  
  
~*~  
  
I shrieked with happiness from the bathroom. I heard Danny running towards me, thinking something was wrong. Before he had a chance to say anything, I wrapped my arms around him and jumped up and down.  
  
"Um, so nothing's wrong?" Danny asked.  
  
"Far from it!" I shrieked. I surprised Danny with a sudden kiss, and then I whispered the real reason why I had shrieked in his ear:  
  
"I'm pregnant!"  
  
~*~  
  
Two months later. . .  
  
~*~  
  
"So how's Baby?" Danny smiled as he carried a tray into my room, which held my latest favorite food, sushi dipped in cheese sauce.  
  
I rubbed my now-larger stomach and laughed. "Baby's great!"  
  
Danny put the tray on my night table and sat now next to me. He took my hand and stared at the ceiling.  
  
After some time he finally said, "I can't believe it."  
  
"What?" I asked.  
  
"I'm going to be. . .a FATHER. A dad! It's just so. . ."  
  
"Unbelievable?" I finished.  
  
"Yeah. Like, wow, I can't believe it! I'm going to be a DAD!" Danny cried happily.  
  
"Did it just register?" I laughed, hugging him close to me.  
  
"I guess so. . .wow."  
  
I could only laugh.  
  
~*~  
  
Four months later. . .  
  
~*~  
  
I sat by the pool and put my feet it. I really wanted to work with the dragons today, but Danny refused to let me do any 'work.' I always assured him I would be careful, but he said he wanted our baby to be healthy.  
  
I couldn't blame him, but why wouldn't he let me swim???  
  
~*~*~  
  
We had been going to the doctor every couple of weeks now, so I didn't understand why I couldn't swim in the pool when I swam in the river every once in awhile. Danny said it was different.  
  
Whatever.  
  
It was till too early to tell the gender of the baby, but I was hoping for a girl, and Danny was hoping for a boy.  
  
"I need someone to continue training my Charmeleon!" he kept saying.  
  
I just laughed and said a girl could train a Charmeleon just as well as any boy, and besides, our child would be a Tamer, so they would most likely stay in the den like Dad and I had. Danny would just roll his eyes and smile.  
  
~*~  
  
Six months later. . .  
  
~*~  
  
"Draaa, Draagonite," Cielo called to me. I was putting my feet in the pool again, and it was a pain to get up; my stomach was so huge. I waddled over to Cielo.  
  
"What?" I asked, feeling sort of crabby.  
  
Cielo pulled something from under his tail and handed it to me. I noticed he was being careful not to squish it.  
  
What could he possibly give me? It wasn't like I had lent him something lately. . .unless. . .  
  
The memory came flooding back. I was covering Mystic's body, and out came. . .the egg. Mystic's child.  
  
I choked back a sob. Cielo handed me the egg silently. I held it in my hands-it wasn't that big-and just stared at it.  
  
Had I told Danny about the egg? I wasn't sure. But I knew I wanted to tell him right then.  
  
I tried my best to run, but of course I couldn't that well. "Danny!" I cried. Where the heck was he?  
  
Danny popped up from underwater a second later with a worried look on his face. He jumped out of the pool and ran to me. "What is it?" he asked, his brow creased.  
  
I didn't say anything. I just held out the egg.  
  
Danny smiled. "This is great!" he said. "The first Pokemon egg of the den!"  
  
"Danny," I said slowly. "This is Mystic's egg."  
  
The smile disappeared from his face as quickly as it came. "But how. . .?"  
  
"I discovered it after she died," I said, trying to look at my feet, but my stomach was in the way. "And I didn't tell anyone but Cielo. He kept it all this time."  
  
Danny just stared at the egg. Finally he said, "Are you going to keep it?"  
  
I nodded. "Yes," I said. "Mystic would want me to."  
  
Danny smiled and put his arm around my shoulder as we walked to my room.  
  
~*~  
  
Nine months later. . .  
  
~*~  
  
The egg was safe and sound, in an old pillowcase so it would be nice and warm. I couldn't wait until it hatched.  
  
Of course, I was very near my due date, and I couldn't wait until I 'hatched'. I had been to many more doctor appointments, and the doctor said my baby was healthy, and that he knew the gender, but I didn't want to know. I thought it would be a fun surprise.  
  
Danny poked his head into my room, where I had been laying on my bed, just staring at the ceiling.  
  
"April?" he said. "Do you want to go now?"  
  
I nodded and sighed. "But this means I have to find the Pokeballs. I know they're around here somewhere," I added, trying to get up.  
  
Danny helped me up and then opened my closet, where about sixty Pokeballs tumbled out.  
  
"Problem solved," he laughed.  
  
I smiled, but I couldn't laugh. Today, Danny and I were going to leave the den to spend a few days at the Pokemon Center until I was ready to have my child. Then, after he/she was born, we would go live with my mother back near Cherrygrove City and New Bark Town. I didn't know how long I would stay at home, so I would have to return all of the dragons to their Pokeballs.  
  
Except for the egg. I was going to take the egg with me, and keep it in a Pokeball until my child was old enough to understand about the den. For some reason, I felt that Mystic's baby was going to be perfect.  
  
It took awhile to get everyone back into their Pokeballs. They were very, very reluctant to go back inside, but they couldn't fend for themselves without a tamer.  
  
I laughed to myself as I returned Cielo, the last dragon, to his Pokeball.  
  
"What?" Danny asked.  
  
"When I first found out about the den, I told Mystic I wasn't a dragon tamer, and didn't want anything to do with the den. And now I was just thinking that they can't fend for themselves without a tamer. . .I just called myself a dragon tamer!"  
  
Danny smiled and kissed me. Or at least, he tried to, but my enormous stomach was in the way, so he kissed my cheek.  
  
"I can't wait until this baby is born," I moaned as I spread the Pokeballs all over a table, and then covered them with a sheet. "My stomach is too big."  
  
Danny laughed. "Yeah, I can't wait either. I STILL want to know what the gender is!"  
  
"We'll just have to waaaait," I said in a sing-song voice. Then I picked up one suitcase with some things that I didn't want to leave in the den. Danny took it from me, saying I shouldn't carry it, and carried it himself. I made sure the key was around my neck. It was.  
  
"Let's go," I said.  
  
We left very silently. In fact, the den was the quietest I had ever heard it-no Dratinis and Dragonairs splashing and crying out. Just the sound of running water.  
  
Danny and I swam up the river and got back to civilization.  
  
I'll be back Mystic and Dad-that's a promise, I thought as Danny and I walked hand in hand to the Pokemon Center. 


	26. Chapter Twenty Five: sobThe Endsob

~Chapter Twenty-Five~  
  
We had been at the Pokemon Center for a week now, and the baby showed no signs of being born. I was growing restless.  
  
One night, just before bedtime, Mom arrived. I was surprised-she had come all the way to Ecruteak City from home!  
  
"Moooom. . ." I whined.  
  
"I just want to make sure you're going to be okay," she kept saying. And then she would smile and say, "Besides, I want to get a glimpse of my first grandchild!"  
  
I had to smile at that. But that was the only thing. I couldn't believe how long this baby was taking to be born.  
  
I stared out the window of the Pokemon Center. Teenagers kept coming in and out, asking for their Pokemon to be healed. I wondered if any of them would become a Pokemon master. Then I wondered if I would have ever been one, had I not discovered the den. What sort of Pokemon would I have? Would Mystic have evolved into a Dragonite? Would Anthony have found me?  
  
I shivered at the last thought. Years later, Anthony still creeped me out. Probably because it was his fault Mystic was dead. . .  
  
I shook my head to clear out the thought. I couldn't be thinking of bad things. Happy thought, think happy thoughts. . .  
  
I was still thinking happy thoughts as I climbed into the bed Danny and I were sharing. I fell asleep in an instant, with Danny snoring next to me.  
  
~*~*~  
  
I woke up at around three in the morning. At first I didn't know why I woke up, until I felt this sharp pain going through me. It felt like someone was cutting my stomach with a hot knife.  
  
I screamed.  
  
Danny immediately woke up, and Mom burst into the room.  
  
"April what is it?!" Danny asked, sounding half tired and half psychotic.  
  
"The. . .baby. . ." I said through gritted teeth.  
  
Mom, Danny, and the Nurse Joy on duty help me to the hospital, which was a block away. The pain was getting worse.  
  
Finally, I was settled into a hospital bed. The pain had stopped, but a minute later, it started again. A nurse kept checking on me, and finally she said, "It's time."  
  
~*~*~  
  
I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. My hand felt sore, probably from Danny gripping it so hard. I looked, and saw Mom standing next to me. She looked like she had been crying.  
  
"Mom?" I croaked.  
  
She stroked my hair. "Oh April," she blubbered.  
  
"Mom-" I started, but Danny burst into the room and gave me a big hug.  
  
"April!" he cried. "I don't believe it!"  
  
"What?!" I said, sounding a little hysterical. I had no clue what was going on. Where had Danny gone? What happened to me? And where was my baby?  
  
Just then, a nurse walked quietly into my room, holding a bundle of pink blankets.  
  
I smiled. "Pink?" I squeaked.  
  
The nurse smiled and carefully handed the baby to me. "You have a beautiful baby girl," she whispered, before leaving.  
  
I stared at the bundle in my arms. She was so perfect and tiny. She had dark, almost black hair, and for a second she opened her eyes and look at me, then went back to sleep.  
  
I smiled again. She had my hair and Danny's blue eyes.  
  
Perfect.  
  
"Hey, let me hold her," Danny complained, but he was smiling too.  
  
For a minute, I didn't want to hand her over. I just wanted to hold her forever and ever, but Mom coughed, which sounded a lot like "April", so I handed her to Danny.  
  
Danny slowly rocked her back and forth. He sat on the edge of my bed, staring at her. Had I looked like that?  
  
"She's so perfect," he finally whispered.  
  
"My thoughts exactly," I agreed.  
  
After awhile, Mom got to hold her first granddaughter. This time, she did start to cry, and I took the baby from Mom, fearing that she would flood all over the floor.  
  
~*~*~  
  
After about a half hour, the nurse took the baby back so she could sleep in the nursery. I thought about her until Mom left to make some phone calls-or so she said. I had a feeling she wanted to have Danny and I be alone for awhile.  
  
Danny sat on the bed next to me, and I scooted over and laid back. He did too, and soon we were laying down, our heads sharing the same pillow and fingers intertwined.  
  
"What happened?" I asked so suddenly, I surprised myself.  
  
"What happened what?" Danny said.  
  
"When I was having her. I don't remember it. . ."  
  
"Oh," Danny answered. "About a half second after she was born, you passed out. It was like, boom. You were fine, so we let you sleep for about three hours until I came in the room and saw you awake."  
  
I smiled again, and just stared at the ceiling until Danny and I both fell asleep.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The next day, I was still at the hospital. The doctor said he just wanted to check me over, then I could leave with our nameless baby.  
  
"What should we name her?" Danny asked that morning, while I was holding her.  
  
I frowned. "I'm not sure," I said. "I thought of a lot of names, but none seem quite right. . ."  
  
"Hmmm. . ." Danny said, staring at our baby. She was asleep, but fussing, moving her hands and head around.  
  
"I've always liked the name Diana," he suddenly said. "My dad told me it means 'divine.' And I think our baby is really divine."  
  
I giggle, and looked at her. "Diana," I whispered.  
  
For a full second, she opened her eyes and stared at me with those same blue eyes. Then she fell back asleep.  
  
"Diana it is," I smiled.  
  
I looked up at Danny, and saw a dark figure hurry by our room, but thought nothing of it when Danny took Diana and held her some more.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Dear Diary,  
  
We're back in our old mansion. Thank goodness there's plenty of room for us. Wow, four people, that's a record for this house!  
  
Obviously, Danny has never been in this house, but he loves it. He especially loves all of Dad's old pictures, which is really sweet. I love him so much.  
  
Diana is so adorable! I'm trying to teach her to say 'Dratini,' but of course she can't talk yet. She's only a few weeks old!  
  
Omigosh! Speaking of Dratini, guess what??? Mystic's egg hatched the day after Diana was born, about nine at night. It was so magnificent, watching the little Dratini hatch out of the egg. Mystic's baby. I put her in the Pokeball-I'm not quite ready to deal with dragons yet. But I named her Mystical, in honor of her mother.  
  
So we're all here. Mom, Mystical, Danny, Diana, and I-and hopefully our new life will take us to new places.  
  
Just like the key."  
  
~*~  
  
The End!!!  
  
Oh man, now I'm getting teary like I do when a fic ends. . .thanks to everyone who has reviewed and read this!!! ^_^ 


End file.
